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Op zaterdag 6 april 2024 23:13 schreef dudewhereismycar het volgende:

[..]
Heb hier toch mijn bedenkingen over of dit niet een oorlogsmidaad is vanuit Oekra�ne. Deze vent heeft duidelijk geen wapen bij zich en rent weg.

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Op zaterdag 6 april 2024 23:17 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Je kunt je niet overgeven aan een zelfmoord drone met een batterijduur van een half uur. We hebben nieuwe regels nodig.

En Anton: nee dat was niet de video.

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Op zaterdag 6 april 2024 23:26 schreef dudewhereismycar het volgende:

[..]
Dan nog, ik heb er mijn bedenkingen over.

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Op zaterdag 6 april 2024 23:26 schreef dudewhereismycar het volgende:

[..]
Dan nog, ik heb er mijn bedenkingen over.

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Op zaterdag 6 april 2024 23:26 schreef dudewhereismycar het volgende:

[..]
Dan nog, ik heb er mijn bedenkingen over.

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Op zaterdag 6 april 2024 23:26 schreef dudewhereismycar het volgende:

[..]
Dan nog, ik heb er mijn bedenkingen over.

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Op zaterdag 6 april 2024 23:13 schreef dudewhereismycar het volgende:

[..]
Heb hier toch mijn bedenkingen over of dit niet een oorlogsmidaad is vanuit Oekra�ne. Deze vent heeft duidelijk geen wapen bij zich en rent weg.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 05:15 schreef Chadi het volgende:

[..]
Dat scenario is niet eens zo heel onbedenkelijk.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 05:29 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

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De vorige maand hebben de Russen 35km2 veroverd. Om bij Kiev in de buurt te komen zal men eerst de Kharkiv oblast moeten veroveren, daar zou men op dit tempo 885 maanden over doen.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 05:29 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
De vorige maand hebben de Russen 35km2 veroverd. Om bij Kiev in de buurt te komen zal men eerst de Kharkiv oblast moeten veroveren, daar zou men op dit tempo 885 maanden over doen.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 11:38 schreef polderturk het volgende:

[..]
Dat is maar 74 jaar. We hebben een 80 jarige oorlog gehad. Dus dat valt nog best wel mee.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 11:38 schreef polderturk het volgende:

[..]
Dat is maar 74 jaar. We hebben een 80 jarige oorlog gehad. Dus dat valt nog best wel mee.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 12:01 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

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Er is 'maar' 68 jaar gevochten in die 80-jarige oorlog

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 12:35 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:
Ik stel voor om die eilanden alsnog te veroveren en daar alle Baudisten en ander wappie tuigh te dumpen

Kunnen ze daar mooi Forumlandje spelen en hebben wij er geen last meer van

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 01:58 schreef koffiekoekjes het volgende:
High-res satellite image from 6th of April (After drone attack) showing no signs of damage on SU-34 Base.
[ afbeelding ]

[ afbeelding ]

Zie niet zo snel schade

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ISW Finds No Visual Evidence of Russian Aircraft Being Targeted at Air Bases So Far

Military analysts at ISW highlighted that geolocation footage revealed only explosions and activation of Russian air defence systems near all air bases, except for the one near Yeisk.

According to the latest report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), there is no visual evidence suggesting Ukrainian troops damaged or destroyed aircraft or infrastructure at any of the four air bases targeted by drones early morning Friday, April 5.

Military analysts at ISW highlighted that geolocation footage revealed only explosions and activation of Russian air defence systems near all air bases, except for the one near Yeisk.

At the same time, satellite images captured on April 4, one day before the attack, unveiled a significant presence of military assets at various Russian air bases:

-At Engels air base: Three Tu-160 heavy strategic bombers, five Tu-95 strategic bombers, an Il-76 transport aircraft, and a Tu-22 bomber were identified.

-At Yeisk air base: Ten L-39 combat training aircraft, five An-26 transport aircraft, an An-74 transport aircraft, an AN-12 transport aircraft, four Su-27 aircraft, four Su-25 aircraft, one Su-30 aircraft, along with several Ka-52 and Mi-8 helicopters were observed.

-At Morozovsk airfield: A total of 29 aircraft, mostly Su-34s, were noted.

ISW analysis also reported that Ukrainian drone strikes typically target individual air bases in Russia, therefore making the coordinated strikes on four separate air bases a significant escalation in capabilities for Ukraine.

Furthermore, ISW believes that these strikes on Russian targets are a crucial aspect of Ukraine's campaign to undermine industries supporting Russian military endeavors and potential.

Kyiv Post’s intelligence sources on Friday confirmed a successful special operation by Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (НUR), during which they struck three Russian airfields late Thursday night into Friday morning.

According to the source, at least three Tu-95MS strategic bombers were damaged in the attack by unmanned aerial vehicles at the Engels-2 airfield. Seven Russian soldiers were also killed in the operation, including, presumably, bomber pilots.

“Innovative tactics and equipment were used, which came as a surprise to the enemy’s electronic warfare and air defense systems,” a source told the Kyiv Post.

In addition, Ukrainian drones struck a military airfield in Yeysk, killing four Russian army soldiers and completely burning down two enemy Su-25 attack aircraft.

Earlier on April 5, Kyiv Post reported, citing sources in the Special Services, that the Security Services of Ukraine (SBU) had destroyed at least six Russian aircraft at the Morozovsk airfield last night. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the destruction of 53 drones.

Russian troops frequently utilize Tu-95 strategic bombers stationed at Engels air base to launch X-101/x-555 cruise missiles at targets in Ukraine.

As of 2023, Russia reportedly possessed approximately 60 Tu-95 aircraft. The potential loss of around five percent of Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers in a single strike would be notable.

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President Zelenski waarschuwt bondgenoten: "Binnenkort heeft Oekra�ne geen luchtafweer meer"

Oekra�ne dreigt binnenkort zonder luchtverdedigingssystemen te vallen als Rusland zijn intensieve aanvalscampagne blijft voortzetten. Die krachtige taal verkondigde president Volodimir Zelenski in een interview op de Oekra�ense televisie. Zelenksi vraagt zijn bondgenoten al maanden om meer steun, vooral de Verenigde Staten. Daar raakt een hulppakket van miljarden dollars maar niet door het Congres. Zelenski wil de hulp desnoods ontvangen in de vorm van een lening: "We staan voor alle opties open."

Meer dan twee jaar na het begin van de oorlog in Oekra�ne duren de gevechten nog altijd in alle hevigheid voort. De laatste maanden voert Rusland intensieve luchtaanvallen uit op steden en dorpen in Oekra�ne. Ze viseren daarbij vooral de energievoorzieningen van het land. Rusland zet een breed arsenaal aan raketten en drones in, en Zelenski vraagt al lang aan zijn bondgenoten om extra luchtafweer en ander militair materiaal te sturen.

Zelenski kijkt daarbij vooral naar de Verenigde Staten. Daar ligt een hulppakket van 60 miljard dollar op tafel. Maar dat raakt maar niet goedgekeurd door het Amerikaanse Congres. Bepaalde Republikeinen scharen zich daar achter Donald Trump, die voor de Republikeinen opnieuw president wil worden. En hij is enorm kritisch voor de steun van de VS aan Oekra�ne.

In februari werd het hulppakket dan toch goedgekeurd door de Amerikaanse Senaat, waar de Democraten de meerderheid hebben. Of het door het Huis van Afgevaardigden zal geraken, is nog maar de vraag. Daar zijn de Republikeinen in de meerderheid. Nochtans is het Amerikaanse hulppakket belangrijk voor Oekra�ne, omdat het ook geavanceerde luchtafweer bevat. Het gaat dan om Patriot-systemen.

Vorig jaar leverde de VS al verdedigingssystemen van het type Patriot aan Oekra�ne. Die zijn volgens president Zelenski al van groot belang gebleken bij Russische aanvallen met ballistische en hypersonische raketten. Door de vertraging van het sturen van militaire hulp uit het Westen wordt de situatie hoe langer hoe lastiger, zegt Zelenski nu.

Zelenski: "Moeilijke keuzes over wat we moeten beschermen"

"De situatie op het terrein is moeilijk, maar toch gestabiliseerd. De vijand gaat niet vooruit: als hij stappen vooruit zet, ketsen wij hen af, en trekt hij zich terug. Onze jongens zetten daarentegen enkele stappen vooruit", zei Zelenski een interview dat gisteren te zien was op de Oekra�ense televisie.

De huidige luchtverdediging van Oekra�ne volstaat echter niet om alle Russische raketten uit de lucht te halen. "Voorlopig beschikken we over voldoende voorraden, maar we moeten moeilijke keuzes maken over wat we moeten beschermen. Als Rusland Oekra�ne elke dag blijft aanvallen zoals ze dat de afgelopen tijd gedaan hebben, kunnen we zonder raketten komen te zitten. En onze partners weten dat."

Zonder Amerikaanse hulp wordt het voor Oekra�ne moeilijk om successen te boeken, stelde Zelenski. Hij zegt dat Oekra�ne 25 Patriot-luchtafweersystemen nodig heeft, met elk 6 tot 8 lanceerinrichtingen. Daarmee kan het land zijn hele luchtruim beschermen tegen Russische raket- en drone-aanvallen. "Al onze partners weten dit goed genoeg, ze kennen zelfs de punten waar ze geplaatst moeten worden."

De Oekra�ense president zegt dat hij nog steeds gelooft dat het Amerikaanse Congres het hulppakket zal goedkeuren. "Ik geloof nog steeds dat we een positieve stemming kunnen krijgen". In de VS wordt nu her en der geopperd om de steun in de vorm van een lening te verstrekken. Op de vraag wat Zelenski daarvan vindt, antwoordt hij: "We zullen instemmen met alle opties" en "liever nu de wapens op afbetaling, dan over een jaar gratis".

Slachtoffers bij aanvallen in Donetsk

De voorbije uren heeft Rusland opnieuw zware artillerie-aanvallen uitgevoerd in de regio Donetsk, in het oosten van Oekra�ne. Daarbij zijn volgens Oekra�ne zeker 5 mensen om het leven gekomen. In het district Pokrovsk, op enkele kilometers van het front ten westen van Donetsk, stierf onder andere een minderjarige. Er vielen ook 2 gewonden.

Rusland van zijn kant meldt dan weer dat in de regionale hoofdstad Donetsk 11 mensen gewond raakten door Oekra�ense beschietingen. Negen woongebouwen werden beschadigd in verschillende delen van de stad. Naast Donetsk werden ook de steden Makiyivka en Horlivka, die ook door het Russische leger worden gecontroleerd, aangevallen, aldus Rusland.

De regio Donetsk wordt deels door Russische en deels door Oekra�ense troepen gecontroleerd. Er wordt al gevochten sinds 2014, toen Russische separatisten zich losmaakten van Oekra�ne. In september 2022 werd de regio door Rusland geannexeerd, maar die annexatie wordt internationaal niet erkend.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 13:23 schreef sp3c het volgende:
Wij hebben ze ook niet meer (over)

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Protesters in Budapest demanded the resignation of Viktor Orban

“Orban, go away!” – tens of thousands of protesters in Budapest demanded the resignation of the Hungarian prime minister.

This is the second mass action against pro-Russian politician Viktor Orban in recent weeks.

The new protests were led by opposition politician P�ter Magyar, a former one-partner of Orb�n.

He previously spoke out about corruption in the government and published an audio recording confirming it.

Now he plans to create his own political party and send Viktor Orb�n to resign.

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The USA has authorized Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands to transfer 65 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets to Ukraine
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives evaluated a series of notifications during the month of February proposing the transfer of 65 F-16A/B Fighting Falcon MLU fighter jets from Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands to Ukraine. Despite the mentioned countries expressing their intention to donate the aircraft, the estimated cost of the initiatives amounts to USD 1.683.5 billion, including spare engines, simulators, manuals, tools, and various materials for operating and sustaining the F-16s.

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From the summary of the Foreign Affairs Committee, it is revealed that Denmark will make available six F-16 Block 10, thirteen F-16 Block 15 aircraft, additional engines, and support equipment. The transfer is valued at USD 87.5 million. It is worth noting that the Danish government has not only been one of the promoters of the initiative to provide F-16s to Ukraine but is also one of the few countries training pilots and technical personnel.

Regarding the Danish F-16s, the Defense Ministers of Argentina and the Nordic country recently signed a letter of intent for the purchase of 24 F-16A/B MLU aircraft, an acquisition process that is expected to be formalized in the coming weeks with the signing of a contract. The Royal Danish Air Force upgraded a total of 61 F-16A/B aircraft to the MLU standard, a fleet that was reduced to about 44 aircraft a few years ago and is being replaced by 5th generation F-35A Lightning II fighters.

In the case of Norway, the transfer includes up to 22 F-16 Block 10/15 aircraft, engines, support equipment, test benches, tools, maintenance materials, simulators, spare parts, manuals, and technical documents, among others. The document mentions that the original acquisition value is approximately USD 1.326 billion. Norway has made available a couple of F-16s for the training of Ukrainian crews, while also forming a core group of instructors to support the Danish effort.

Finally, the case of the Dutch RSAT was also discussed. On this occasion, it mentions 24 F-16 Block 10/15 aircraft as well as similar supplementary materials to those of Norway. The Dutch initiative initially involved the transfer of 18 fighters, however, that number would be expanded after the decision to cancel the sale of another six aircraft to the company Draken.

The Netherlands has been another major proponent of the project to deliver F-16 fighters to the Ukrainian Air Force. In the early months, the Dutch government was willing to transfer its F-16s to third parties in order to release combat aircraft of Soviet origin. Although this initiative did not come to life, it was a first step for the project of the previously mentioned European countries.

The Dutch commitment is such that in the last week of March, the Ministry of Defense announced the purchase of air-to-air missiles for the F-16s donated to Ukraine, an initiative valued at USD 150 million. In this way, the European state confirmed once again its commitment to supporting Ukraine in the context of the armed conflict it faces with Russia.

It is necessary to remember that the idea of ​​transferring F-16s to Ukraine did not initially have the approval of Washington, it was a plan that matured over time until it received the green light. However, the USA has only committed to training Ukrainian personnel, leaving aside any intention related to the delivery of aircraft.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 14:41 schreef sp3c het volgende:
nu nog een stuk of 100 vliegers

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Pro-Russia Candidate Wins Slovakia’s Presidential Election
The victory for Peter Pellegrini, an ally of Slovakia’s populist prime minister, strengthens Central Europe’s ties to Moscow.

Voters in Slovakia on Saturday strengthened the grip of Russia-friendly political forces in Central Europe, handing victory in a presidential election to a candidate who opposes providing military and financial aid to Ukraine.

With 99 percent of the votes counted, the official tally showed Peter Pellegrini, an ally of Slovakia’s populist prime minister, Robert Fico, the winner with 53 percent of the vote in a presidential runoff. Despite the presidency’s limited powers in Slovakia, the election was widely watched as a test of strength between political camps with starkly different views on Russia.

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The defeated candidate, former Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok, is a stalwart supporter of Ukraine and critic of Mr. Fico, a pugnacious veteran politician who has aligned with Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary in opposing aid to Ukraine and challenging mainstream opinions within the European Union.

With Mr. Fico at his side, Mr. Pellegrini declared victory early Sunday, soon after Mr. Korcok conceded defeat.

Mr. Korcok came first among nine candidates in an initial round of voting on March 23, but he lost in Saturday’s face-off with Mr. Pellegrini, who appears to have picked up votes that in the first round went to an anti-NATO nationalist who finished third.

In the campaign leading up to the vote, Mr. Pellegrini copied tactics used by Mr. Orban during an election in 2022 in Hungary, in which his governing party falsely claimed that the main opposition leader wanted to send Hungarian soldiers to fight against Russia in Ukraine. Mr. Pellegrini used the same smear against Mr. Korcok, casting him as a warmonger intent on sending Slovak troops into Ukraine.

Mr. Korcok insisted that he had no such plan — which is not something a Slovak president has the power to carry out, anyway — but he had trouble breaking through a miasma of disinformation pumped out by pro-Russia websites and social media accounts.

His defeat is a big boost for Mr. Fico, who can now pursue his agenda without interference from the presidency. That is a marked shift from the tenure of the departing president, Zuzana Caputova, an outspoken, pro-Western liberal who used her limited powers to resist Mr. Fico’s drift toward Russia and his efforts to limit the judiciary’s ability to prosecute corruption. She did not run for a new term, saying that she was exhausted “from the professional and human point of view.”

Restrained by Ms. Caputova, Mr. Fico refrained from confronting fellow leaders over Ukraine during European Union summits in Brussels. The election of Mr. Pellegrini, however, could lead to a more confrontational approach like that of Hungary, the European bloc’s inveterate dissident.

In public statements, Mr. Fico has joined Mr. Orban in pushing for what he describes as “peace” in Ukraine, arguing that the war will drag on indefinitely without a swift negotiated settlement. Ukraine and its Western backers consider an end to the war impossible unless Russia gives up occupied territory.

Mr. Korcok, a career diplomat who served as Slovakia’s ambassador to Washington from 2018 to 2020, has dismissed calls for immediate “peace” as a surrender to Russia’s goal of hanging on to Ukrainian land. He supports the stance that providing military and financial support to Ukraine is the only way to bring a lasting end to the conflict.

Mr. Fico, a veteran politician who ended an earlier stint as prime minister by resigning in 2018 amid a swirl of corruption accusations, has also followed Mr. Orban in trying to neuter the judiciary and in casting supporters of Ukraine as disloyal lackeys of the United States.

Mr. Fico returned to power after a general election in September, reviving a political career that many had considered over when he quit amid large street protests after the killing of an investigative journalist who had been looking into government graft.

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When a top Republican says Russian propaganda has infected the GOP
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul is the latest to point out such a problem in his party

During the first impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump in 2019, former Trump national security aide Fiona Hill made an extraordinary plea. Seated in front of congressional Republicans, she implored them not to spread Russian propaganda.

“In the course of this investigation, I would ask that you please not promote politically driven falsehoods that so clearly advance Russian interests,” she told them. She was referring to comments they had made during her earlier deposition breathing life into a baseless, Trump-backed suggestion that Ukraine, rather than Russia, interfered in the 2016 U.S. election.

“These fictions are harmful even if they’re deployed for purely domestic political purposes,” she added.

Republicans on the committee blanched at the suggestion that they had served as conduits for Russian misinformation, but Hill refused to back down.

Five years later, Republicans are starting to grapple more publicly with the idea that this kind of thing is happening in their ranks.

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The most striking example came this week. In an interview with Puck News’s Julia Ioffe, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Tex.) — none other than the GOP chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee — flat-out said that Russian propaganda had “infected a good chunk of my party’s base.”

McCaul suggested conservative media was to blame.

“There are some more nighttime entertainment shows that seem to spin, like, I see the Russian propaganda in some of it — and it’s almost identical [to what they’re saying on Russian state television] — on our airwaves,” McCaul said.

He also cited “these people that read various conspiracy-theory outlets that are just not accurate, and they actually model Russian propaganda.”

Asked which Republicans specifically he was talking about, McCaul said it was “obvious,” before staff intervened and asked that the conversation go off the record.

These comments are the most significant to date, but they’re not the only ones.

A GOP impasse over additional funding for Ukraine’s defense against Russia — combined recently with Tucker Carlson’s deeply weird promotion of Russia and Trump’s comments about not defending NATO allies from Moscow — has apparently occasioned some self-reflection among Republicans about their colleagues and allies:
• Former vice president Mike Pence, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and a top aide to Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) have warned their party against serving as apologists for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Recent presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Trump’s comments about not defending NATO allies, among others, “empower Putin.”
• And Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) shot back at criticism from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) about Cornyn’s support for Ukraine, urging Paxton to “spend less time pushing Russian propaganda.”

Around the same time, former congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said there is now “a Putin wing of the Republican Party.”

In 2022, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) called the pro-Putin sentiments in some corners of his party “almost treasonous,” while allowing that perhaps his fellow Republicans were just attention-seekers.

“It’s unthinkable to me, it’s almost treasonous and it just makes me ill to see some of these people do that,” Romney said. “But, of course, they do it because if they get shock value and it’s good to get more eyeballs and maybe make a little more money for them or their network. It’s disgusting.”

And then there is what may be the most famous example: when House GOP leaders in 2016 privately joked about Trump being compromised by Russia, as later reported by The Washington Post.

The day after The Post broke the news that the Russians had hacked the Democratic National Committee, then-House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) quipped that perhaps Russia had gotten Democrats’ opposition research about Trump.

“There’s two people, I think, Putin pays,” McCarthy added, “[Rep. Dana] Rohrabacher and Trump.” (Rohrabacher was an openly pro-Russian Republican from California.)

Then-House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) quickly tried to steer the conversation in another direction and urged people to be discreet.

It appeared to be a joke, but perhaps a joke born of real concerns about Trump’s commentary on Russia.

Eight years later, such concerns clearly remain for some prominent Republicans about their colleagues and allies.

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Alpha Group operators hit tanks and other equipment of Russians with drones

SSU special operations soldiers have recently hit a significant amount of equipment of the Russian invasion forces in various sectors of the front.

The Security Service has released a video of the combat missions of the Alpha Group’s drone operators.

​​Mostly FPV strike drones were used to destroy enemy equipment and assets.

In total, in two weeks, Ukrainian special forces hit a number of armored vehicles, tanks, and military vehicles of the invaders.

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Most of the footage in the SSU video shows Ukrainian FPV drones, mostly equipped with HEAT warheads, flying over and hitting tanks of various modifications.

Спецпризначенці ЦСО «А» СБУ палять ворожу техніку на фронті

BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles and MT-LB tracked tractors, used by the Russians as armored personnel carriers, were also hit.

Drones with HEAT warheads also hit trucks used by the Russians for logistics.

Ukrainian drones also hit the invaders’ visual surveillance systems.

Last November, special forces of the Security Service of Ukraine received 830 strike FPV drones from the Come Back Alive Foundation within the Operation Unity project.

A HEAT and high-explosive incendiary warhead of Ukrainian production was added to each drone.

Kamikaze drones, designed to defeat the equipment and manpower of the invaders, were transferred to the SSU’s Special Group Alpha.

FPV drone models and ammunition for them were approved by the Ukrainian military.

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Leaked audio reveals Russian plan to occupy Kazakhstan territory
A leaked audio recording from a Russian deputy has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles, indicating that Kazakhstan could be the next target of Russian aggression following Ukraine’s invasion.

In the recording, Russian General and State Duma deputy Andriy Gurulyov unequivocally states that Kazakhstan is slated to be Russia’s next victim.

The leaked recording, initially shared within parliamentary defense committees, surfaced publicly on Saturday, sparking concerns over Kazakhstan’s security. Gurulyov attributes Russia’s military buildup against Kazakhstan to what he describes as the country’s failure to comply with Kremlin directives. He claims that decisions have already been made regarding Kazakhstan’s fate.

This disclosure comes amid a backdrop of escalating tensions, with Russian media increasingly demonizing Kazakhstan, mirroring the rhetoric used against Ukraine in previous years.

Former KGB operative and State Duma deputy Andriy Lugovoy, infamous for his involvement in the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, has also joined the chorus of anti-Kazakhstan sentiment. Lugovoy recently produced a propaganda film accusing Kazakhstan of Russophobia, further stoking tensions.

Moreover, another State Duma deputy, Yevgeny Fedorov, has raised legal arguments questioning Kazakhstan’s sovereignty, suggesting that until territorial disputes are resolved, Kazakhstan should face limitations, such as a ban on joining NATO (as was demanded for Ukraine).

Russian propaganda has long targeted Kazakhstan as an “ungrateful neighbor,” and recent rhetoric has escalated, branding the neighboring republic as the “second Ukraine.” High-ranking Russian officials have expressed linguistic and territorial claims over Kazakhstan, with former President Dmitry Medvedev labeling it an “artificial state” and advocating for a revival of the Soviet Union under a “Slavic people” umbrella.

The leaked recording and subsequent reactions underscore the precarious geopolitical landscape in Eurasia, with Kazakhstan potentially facing a similar fate as Ukraine.

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Russian Arctic governor survives stabbing attack
MOSCOW (Reuters) -The governor of Russia’s Arctic region of Murmansk survived a stabbing attack, and investigators said on Friday they had arrested a man with a criminal record who said he committed the assault out of “dislike” for the official.

The Kremlin said the assassination attempt, which took place after a town hall meeting on Thursday, must be investigated as fast as possible.

Lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein said the governor, Andrei Chibis, was saved by a national guardsman who fired a warning shot in the air and then grabbed the attacker, wounding him in the leg and wrenching him away.

A video published on Chibis’s Telegram channel showed him lying in a hospital bed after undergoing surgery, and thanking doctors for saving him. The regional health ministry said his condition was still serious and he would need further treatment.

The state Investigative Committee said the attacker, who also required medical assistance, had previously been prosecuted for causing a minor injury.

“During the interrogation, the man explained that he committed the attack because he disliked the governor, although he did not know him personally,” it said.

It said forensic tests including a psychiatric evaluation had been ordered.

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Ukrainian FPV drone hits Uragan MLRS for the first time in history

For the first time in history, the Ukrainian military hit a BM-27 Uragan multiple rocket launcher with an FPV drone.

The video of the incident was published on the Telegram page of volunteer Serhii Sternenko.

The MRL was hit during its transportation in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation.

Several MRLs were placed by Russians on semi-trailers and transported to an unknown location through the village of Voznesenovka.

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Перше в історії ураження � СЗВ "Ураган" FPV-дроном

Soldiers from the Himera unit managed to detect them and hit one of the two systems.

Since a single FPV drone carried out the hunt, the level of damage to the MRL is currently unknown.

It should be noted that the attack took place on Pobeda Street in Voznesenivka, Belgorod region of the Russian Federation, which is 7.5 km from the border with Ukraine.

The coordinates of the strike site are 50.416995, 37.014822.

The Uragan multiple rocket launcher was produced between 1975 and 1991 and is now a relatively common system.

According to Western media, Russia has about 750 MLRS of this type, among which 200 launchers are part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and another 550 are in storage.

It should be noted that the border of the Russian Federation is currently very restless, as the Russian Volunteer Corps is hunting for invaders’ equipment that is to be sent to the war in Ukraine.

Militarnyi previously reported that in early March, soldiers of the Sibir Battalion destroyed Russian armored vehicles in the Belgorod region.

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Rare russian T-80UE-1 in Spotlight as it Shows Up in Ukraine, Only Battalion of Such Tanks Existed

^{T-80UE-1 main battle tank / Open-source illustrative photo}

Despite having good specs on paper, the list of the tank's known feats is quite questionable: unable to hit the target and often abandoned on the battlefield
Video of a russian T-80UE-1 tank allegedly deployed in Ukraine as part of the 4th Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army of russia, has caught attention of both russian and Western media. While the russians praise the already traditional anti-drone cages on top of the turret, Army Recognition focused on the "advanced technological features" and rarity of this vehicle.

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In particular, the journalists point out this tank's modernized fire control system, compared to peers of the same lineage, integrated Plisa infrared sight similar to the one installed on T-90, and the 2A46M-4 cannon with an improved ammo loading mechanism that supports a broader variety of ammunition, including the BOPS kinetic penetrators.

^{russian T-90UE-1 in an unidentified location, presumably in Ukraine / Still image of a video published in social media}

Though all these capabilities did not make the rarity stand out as much as the T-90. In fact, Defense Express notes, this combat unit has been seen on Ukrainian battlegrounds earlier, in spring 2022. At the time, there was only one battalion (usually, 31 tanks) equipped with T-80UE-1's; soon enough, at least four were captured by Ukrainian forces and put to good use against their former owners.

^{Captured russian T-90UE-1 in service with Ukr 93rd Mechanized Brigade, identified by NIP Tysk / Still image credit: antonsamarin98 on TikTok}

Still, the T-80UE-1 deserves attention but in a different light. The tanks of this type were essentially an attempt by the russians defense industry to modernize the T-80BV back in the 2000s, but the resulting vehicle turned out to be too expensive for the russian federation, so the idea to launch mass production was quickly abandoned. To exemplify, the T-80UE-1 tank was adopted by the russian armed forces in 2005, but the batch produced at the time was only a few dozen units.

Before the beginning of russian invasion of Ukraine and its first real combat experience, this tank was only noticed once, and that episode was rather uncomplimentary of the praised capabilities of T-80UE-1. During the tank biathlon in 2020, this MBT managed to hit the target on the third attempt, that is, from a stationary position in comfortable proving ground conditions.

^{T-80UE-1 main battle tank, archive photo / Open-source illustrative photo}

Earlier Defense Express reported that despite admitting their T-14 Armata is not for actual combat engagements, russia prepared a production plan for this tank, largely considered the most advanced among those designed by the russian engineers. They are planning to produce 29 vehicles a year, while the russian army itself only has about 20 T-14 from an experimental batch.

quote:

Eurofighter in action
Air Force intercepts Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea
It is the second incident this year in which German Air Force Eurofighters had to accompany a Russian military aircraft. The plane flew without a signal.

The German Air Force says it intercepted a Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea . Eurofighter fighter jets took off from the Latvian base at Lielvarde on Saturday to intercept an Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft, the air force said on the online service X, formerly Twitter. The machine was therefore traveling without a transponder signal.

As part of NATO, Germany participates in air surveillance over the Baltic states, which do not have their own combat aircraft. There have been several incidents with Russian military aircraft in the Baltic Sea region in the past.

quote:

24/7 also means weekends. Our Eurofighters from #VAPB took off today from Lielvarde 🇱🇻 on a protection flight to intercept a 🇷🇺 COOT-A (Il-20) over the Baltic Sea that was flying without a transponder.

quote:

Pressure through call-up notice: Ukrainian media association calls for proceedings to be opened against Security Service and enlistment office staff

^{The enlistment officers and their "handler". Screenshot: Slidstvo.info}

The Ukrainian media association Mediarukh is demanding that criminal proceedings be opened against employees of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and an enlistment office following an incident involving an investigative journalist from Slidstvo.info.

SPOILER

quote:

Source: a statement by Mediarukh, sent to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vasyl Maliuk, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin, Defence Minister Rustem Umierov and Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Quote: "As Ukrainian journalists and media organisations who are members of Mediarukh, we are appealing to you to see that justice is done and to protect the rights of journalists in Ukraine. The current situation around the harassment of Slidstvo.info investigative journalist Yevhen Shulhat raises serious concerns about a possible abuse of office and obstruction of journalistic activity on the part of the SSU, as well as the use of the military as a tool to curtail journalistic investigations."

Details: The journalists’ demands are as follows:
• The immediate opening of criminal proceedings with regard to the possible abuse of office, illegal surveillance and obstruction of journalistic activity on the part of employees of the SSU and the enlistment office.
• A thorough and prompt investigation into the circumstances of the case, including the role of the SSU and enlistment officers in this incident.
• Reliable protection of journalists’ rights and their safety in performing their professional duties.

The statement notes that the circumstances of the incident indicate that the SSU was attempting to use its official position to obstruct the activities of a journalist who was uncovering facts that were potentially inconvenient for the SSU leadership. At the same time, the journalists emphasise that they are aware of the need for every citizen to contribute to the defence of Ukraine, and that four of the sixteen employees of Slidstvo.info have received call-up notices and joined the ranks of the Armed Forces.

The statement also said that unknown persons recently asked the State Bureau of Investigation to look into the work of a Vinnytsia military enlistment office which is apparently not performing well and has failed to mobilise Oleksandr Salizhenko, Editor-in-Chief of the Chesno movement [a Ukrainian public campaign for transparency in politics].

In addition, the journalists recalled that employees of the SSU’s Department for the Protection of National Statehood conducted video surveillance of journalists from the investigative outlet Bihus.info in late December 2023.

For reference: Mediarukh is a community that brings together journalists from leading Ukrainian media outlets, investigative journalists and experts from media NGOs. Mediarukh was founded on 5 February 2019 and has over 70 members.

Background:
• Investigative journalists discovered that the wife of Illia Vitiuk, head of the SSU’s cybersecurity department, purchased an apartment in December 2023 at the market price of over UAH 20 million (about US$512,000). However, the official's declaration states that UAH 12.8 million (US$328,000) was paid for the apartment.
• On 6 April it was reported that after this, staff from a military enlistment office approached Yevhen Shulhat, an investigative journalist from Slidstvo.Info, and attempted to serve him with a call-up notice. The enlistment officers were allegedly accompanied by Oleksii Bilenko, who is close to Illia Vitiuk and works in the SSU cybersecurity department.
• The SSU and the Ministry of Defence, in conjunction with the General Staff, are looking into information published by Slidstvo.Info regarding the attempts to serve a call-up notice to one of their journalists after he published an investigation into a Security Service official.

quote:

Translation:
This is how I'll sit here. I, a member of the SMO, am sitting near the district administration and asking for money for food, I have nothing to eat. Look, here it is - the district administration of the city of Derbent. Please note that I am sitting, a member of the SMO, asking people for money for food and groceries. The state doesn’t help, no one helps me. Pay attention to this.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 11:38 schreef polderturk het volgende:

Dat is maar 74 jaar. We hebben een 80 jarige oorlog gehad. Dus dat valt nog best wel mee.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 17:48 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Uiteraard. Mocht Rusland vervolgens meer willen heeft Trump daar ook een oplossing voor.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 17:48 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Uiteraard. Mocht Rusland vervolgens meer willen heeft Trump daar ook een oplossing voor.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 09:53 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:

[..]
Het punt is dat het tempo accelereert.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 19:43 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 21:19 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Dat vermindert de reactietijd voor de russen aanzienlijk. Goede ontwikkelingen.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 15:08 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://defence-blog.com/(...)azakhstan-territory/
[..]
[ x ]

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 21:19 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Dat vermindert de reactietijd voor de russen aanzienlijk. Als ze bijv 500km per uur gaan, dan hebben doelen op 500km afstand maximaal 1 uur om te reageren. Goede ontwikkelingen.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 00:17 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Alleen vliegen ze maar een minuut of 45 kaal (zonder wapens/payload) aangezien de Banshees target drones (life firings) voor luverdehdn zijn...

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 09:07 schreef sp3c het volgende:
Devestating for NATO?

Hoe dan?

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 08:57 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 08:57 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 08:57 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 09:09 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
European economies are part of nato.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 09:14 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Hou deze onzin gewoon lekker in bnw.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 09:09 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
European economies are part of nato.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 09:26 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Daily Mail is nu ook BNW?

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 09:26 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Daily Mail is nu ook BNW?

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 09:26 schreef Wantie het volgende:

[..]
Nope.
En waarom in het Engels?

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 21:33 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
De nieuwe Daily Fella is uit.

[ afbeelding ]

FOR HE’S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW which/that nobody can deny words lyrics text sing along Birthday song

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 09:28 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
Engelse krant

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 09:54 schreef Wantie het volgende:

[..]
Maar de tekst staat daar niet in.
Hij reageert dus zelf in het Engels.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 09:56 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
Moet hij toch weten?

Boeit me niet genoeg om twitter aan te slingeren en het te vragen, niemand denk ik maar als je zin hebt...

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 10:02 schreef Wantie het volgende:

[..]
Ik vind het verdacht, maar misschien denk ik nu teveel BNW.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 09:26 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Daily Mail is nu ook BNW?

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 10:55 schreef sp3c het volgende:
schien hebben we de sleutel te pakken hier

als Oekraine gewoon zegt 'nee man die meuk hebben we nu niet nodig' dan komt de boel blijkbaar gelijk los

_{zo heeft Nederland bv he-le-maal niets meer aan Tomahawks!!}

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 11:02 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Volgens mij was de laatste update dat de infrastructuur (da's vooral de taak van Oekraine) en training (taak van Oekraine en F16 donoren) de enige redenen zijn dat ze nog niet ingezet worden.

Training is niet erg. Meer is altijd beter.

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Op zondag 7 april 2024 12:12 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:
Deze oorlog gaat zeker nog wel tien jaar duren.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 09:26 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Daily Mail is nu ook BNW?

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 13:52 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 08:57 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 15:41 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
[ x ]

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 13:52 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

“GDP growth”... - what is this? They mined ore, cast steel, made a tank, sent it to Ukraine, the tank burned down, the crew received cash payments - but in the end, where are the goods? So inflation is growing. And, of course, GDP, where would we be without it...

quote:

Paratroopers of the 25th Airborne Brigade fought off 11 attacks and destroyed 16 units of equipment in a day

The soldiers of the 25th Separate Airborne “Sicheslav” Brigade destroyed 16 units of enemy equipment in the Avdiivka sector in one day.

The press service of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces reported on this.

It is reported that in just one day of fighting, paratroopers of the 25th Brigade fought off 11 attacks and enemy assaults.

The destroyed equipment includes 10 tanks, 5 infantry fighting vehicles, and one MT-LB tracked tractor.

SPOILER

quote:

Бойова робота воїнів 25-ї бригади

Enemy armored vehicles were destroyed with anti-tank weapons and FPV drones.

Losses of invaders in the Donetsk region
It was recently reported that gunners of the 45th Artillery Brigade disrupted an attempted night assault by the enemy in the eastern direction.

Thanks to the rapid actions of aerial reconnaissance, the artillery unit managed to timely detect the enemy assault group and eliminate it.

Infantry fighting vehicles were involved in the assault, but some of them were blown up on previously installed mines, after which the surviving troops started moving towards the Ukrainian positions.

The enemy infantry was covered by artillery, and its remnants began to blow up on minefields.

Militarnyi previously reported that the Russian command sent a convoy of 9 vehicles in the direction of the village of Terny, located in the Donetsk region.

The soldiers of the 95th Air Assault Brigade, the 60th Mechanized Brigade, the Azov Brigade, and the 1st (Presidential) “Burevii” Brigade entered the battle with the invaders.

Mines blew up the first 2 vehicles, and then Ukrainian soldiers began to hit equipment with everything that was available – heavy artillery, Stugna ATGM, FPV drones, and other weapons.

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 16:17 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://mil.in.ua/en/news(...)-equipment-in-a-day/
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

quote:

the amount of fucked up shit we see every single day. every day, just so many russians die. horribly. there is no honor or glory in anything.

quote:

Inside Donald Trump’s secret, long-shot plan to end the war in Ukraine
Foreign policy experts and some Republicans warned that pressuring Ukraine to cede land would reward Putin

Former president Donald Trump has privately said he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine by pressuring Ukraine to give up some territory, according to people familiar with the plan. Some foreign policy experts said Trump’s idea would reward Russian President Vladimir Putin and condone the violation of internationally recognized borders by force.

Trump’s proposal consists of pushing Ukraine to cede Crimea and the Donbas border region to Russia, according to people who discussed it with Trump or his advisers and spoke on the condition of anonymity because those conversations were confidential. That approach, which has not been previously reported, would dramatically reverse President Biden’s policy, which has emphasized curtailing Russian aggression and providing military aid to Ukraine.

As he seeks a return to power, the presumptive Republican nominee has frequently boasted that he could negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours if elected, even before taking office. But he has repeatedly declined to specify publicly how he would quickly settle a war that has raged for more than two years and killed tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

Trump-aligned foreign-policy thinkers have emphasized addressing threats to U.S. interests from China and seeking ways to reverse Russia’s increasing dependence on China for military, industrial and economic assistance. They have also embraced limiting NATO expansion.

Privately, Trump has said that he thinks both Russia and Ukraine “want to save face, they want a way out,” and that people in parts of Ukraine would be okay with being part of Russia, according to a person who has discussed the matter directly with Trump.

Accepting Russian control over parts of Ukraine would expand the reach of Putin’s dictatorship after what has been the biggest land war in Europe since World War II. Some of Trump’s supporters have been trying to persuade him against such an outcome.

SPOILER

quote:

“I’ve been spending 100 percent of my time talking to Trump about Ukraine,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a onetime Trump critic turned ally. “He has to pay a price. He can’t win at the end of this,” Graham added, speaking of Putin.

Russia has previously declared it was annexing Ukrainian land beyond the Donbas region and Crimea, and Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said he would not accept surrendering any territory. Exchanging territory for a cease-fire would put Ukraine in a worse position without assurances that Russia would not rearm and resume hostilities, as it has in the past, said Emma Ashford, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, a nonpartisan think tank. “That is a terrible deal,” she said of Trump’s proposal.

The Trump campaign declined to directly address questions for this article. “Any speculation about President Trump’s plan is coming from unnamed and uninformed sources who have no idea what is going on or what will happen,” campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “President Trump is the only one talking about stopping the killing.”

Biden said in his State of the Union address that Putin is “on the march, invading Ukraine and sowing chaos throughout Europe and beyond,” and that Ukraine is trying to defend itself. The president has outlined a long-term plan of support for Ukraine that would build up its military capabilities this year so that it is in a better place to go on the offensive next year. But U.S. aid is already in jeopardy as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) faces a revolt from Republican hard-liners who are digging in against any more funding and clamoring to oust him.

Out of office, Trump has pressured congressional Republicans to resist additional U.S. support for Ukraine’s war effort and a return to the White House would significantly expand his influence over the debate. Seeing the political dynamics in the United States, European allies have jump-started military industry to a point where they hope to supplant a significant portion of the current U.S. assistance to Kyiv. But analysts said that realistically, Ukraine’s capacity to keep fighting would be weakened if Trump succeeds in blocking further U.S. aid.

In many ways, Trump’s plan is in line with his approach as president. His preference for splashy summits over policy details, confidence in his own negotiating skills and impatience with conventional diplomatic protocols were all hallmarks of how he approached foreign affairs in his first term.

In his eight years as the GOP’s standard-bearer, Trump has led a stark shift in the party’s prevailing orientation to become more skeptical of foreign intervention such as military aid to Ukraine. Trump has consistently complimented Putin, expressed admiration for his dictatorial rule and gone out of his way to avoid criticizing him, most recently for the death in jail of political opponent Alexei Navalny. He has not called for the release of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter held in Russia for a year without charges or a trial.

Trump has refused to acknowledge Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and falsely blamed Ukraine for trying to help Democratic rival Hillary Clinton — a smear spread by Russian spy services. His attempt in 2019 to withhold aid to Ukraine unless Zelensky announced an investigation into Biden led to Trump’s first impeachment.

In a phone call with Zelensky that year that Trump said was “perfect,” the U.S. president pressured Zelensky to investigate Biden and the discredited theory that Ukraine and not Russia sought to interfere with the 2016 election. The GOP-controlled Senate later acquitted Trump.

“Former president Trump’s inexplicable and admiring relationship with Putin, along with his unprecedented hostility to NATO, cannot give Europe or Ukraine any confidence in his dealings with Russia,” said Tom Donilon, President Barack Obama’s national security adviser. “Trump’s comments encouraging Russia to do whatever it wants with our European allies are among the most unsettling and dangerous statements made by a major party candidate for president. His position represents a clear and present danger to U.S. and European security.”

Graham said he has warned against giving Russia desired land and wants Trump to embrace a pathway forward for Ukraine to join NATO.

“The way you end this war to me is you make sure Ukraine gets into NATO and the E.U.,” he said. “He doesn’t say much about that. I don’t know if he’s thought too much about it.”

In his public promises to end the war, Trump has pointedly withheld the specifics on how he would negotiate with Putin and Zelensky. “I will say certain things to each one of them that I wouldn’t say to the rest of the world, and that’s why I can’t tell you much more than that,” Trump said in a March interview with former aide Sebastian Gorka.

His public silence on his negotiating tack has left room for others to fill in the blanks. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has antagonized European allies with his autocratic and pro-Russian tendencies, met with Trump last month and afterward claimed Trump told him he will force the war to end because “he will not give a penny” to help Ukraine. Orban’s statement was false, but the former president didn’t want to publicly contradict him after entertaining him all night at his Mar-a-Lago Club and admiring his toughness and anti-immigration positions, according to a person close to Trump, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation.

During the meeting, Orban spoke at length about Soviet history, Russia’s desire for Ukrainian territory and the military challenges facing Ukraine, the person said. Trump listened but was noncommittal, the person said. An Orban spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Word of Trump’s plan for Ukraine circulated in Washington last November at a meeting at the Heritage Foundation between right-of-center foreign policy figures and a visiting delegation from the European Council on Foreign Relations. Former Trump White House aide Michael Anton described the expected contours of Trump’s peace plan as Ukraine ceding territory in Crimea and Donbas, limiting NATO expansion and enticing Putin to loosen his growing reliance on China, according to multiple people present for the meeting, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private discussion.

Reached by phone in March, Anton said he hadn’t spoken with Trump in 18 to 24 months and denied knowing anything about Trump’s plan for Ukraine. He did not respond to further questions.

James Carafano, a Heritage Foundation fellow who convened the meeting, declined to comment on the private discussion but criticized the idea of splitting Russia from China. “That is stupid idea 101,” he said. “Anything you could give Russia that they would really value would compromise all your other interests. The way to deal with the Russia-China relationship is to make Russia a weaker partner.”

Peeling Russia away from China would presumably involve sanctions relief, since the Kremlin has turned toward Beijing to try to offset broad-based Western sanctions on its energy, defense and financial sectors, said Jeremy Shapiro, head of the Washington office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, who brought the group’s delegation to the meeting in November. Shapiro declined to comment on the specifics of the conversation, citing ground rules of the November event that prohibited attributing anything that was said, but he said that Trump’s Ukraine peace plan did not appear to be detailed.

“Trump people feel as if one of the great sins of the Ukrainian war and the Russia policy, generally speaking, is to push Russia toward China and to make it all the more dependent on China,” he said. Trump’s “fundamental approach with all things is to get men in a room together to discuss,” without necessarily having detailed plans in advance, Shapiro said.

Russia experts doubted Trump’s peace efforts could succeed. Fiona Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who was Trump’s top Russia adviser and has since emerged as a prominent critic, said it reminded her of 2017 — when unvetted foreigners and business executives approached Trump with various peace plans, and he thought he could sit down with Russia and Ukraine and mediate on the strength of his personal charisma.

Trump’s team “is thinking about this very much in silos, that this is just a Ukraine-Russia thing,” Hill said. “They think of it as a territorial dispute, rather than one about the whole future of European security and the world order by extension.”

Even drawing an armistice line might not be so straightforward. The Kremlin in September 2022 declared that it was annexing four southern and eastern Ukrainian provinces, including the Donbas region but extending well beyond it. Since Kyiv still controls much of the territory, any attempt to resolve the war with territorial concessions is likely to involve extensive haggling — unless both sides simply agree to freeze the front lines that are in place at the moment of a deal.

Ukraine and European allies would probably resist Trump’s efforts to strike a deal with Moscow, Hill said. She added that the United States has limited leverage for a unilateral deal because meaningful sanctions relief would rely on European cooperation.

“No amount of leverage the United States has is likely to compel Ukrainian leadership to engage in policies that would constitute domestic political suicide,” said Michael Kofman, an analyst of the Russia-Ukraine war at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a nonpartisan research center. “And no amount of leverage the United States has can compel Ukraine to cede territory or engage in these types of concessions. This is a situation where if you’re willing to give a hand, the other side will very quickly want the rest of the arm.”

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 16:37 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.washingtonpos(...)bByJvxLQuj8fYi-puzEs
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 16:22 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Ik moet zeggen, ik ben het eens met Perpetua. Met name de afgelopen dagen worden de aanvallen van de russen telkens belachelijker, en de beelden letterlijk afgrijselijk. Lees de beschrijving van video's door Perpetua.
Letterlijk 1 grote slachtpartij.
[..]
Zie zijn comments verderop. Maar ga de video's niet opzoeken.

[ x ]

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 16:40 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Zou Trump er al bij stil hebben gestaan dat a) de VS nog maar weinig leverage heeft in Oekra�ne na het stoppen van steun? en b) denkt hij dat ze daar al vergeten zijn dat 'ie Oekra�ne heeft proberen te chanteren met militaire steun in ruil voor "info" over (Hunter) Biden?

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Ukraine Will Be Able to Strike russia`s Territory Not Only at 1000, But at 3000 km Soon

^{Ukrainian Sokil-300 UAV / Photo credit: Defense Express}

Ukrainian drones with a flight range of 2,500 or even 3000 kilometers will be in mass production soon
The German publisher BILD reported that Ukrainian drones would soon be able to fly deep into russia`s territory. They will be able to hit military targets beyond the Ural and even the Arctic Circle territories.

The range of Ukrainian drones is constantly increasing. This is evidenced by the recent Ukrainian strike on military facilities in Tatarstan, russia. This is 1200 kilometers from Ukrainian border. But this is not the limit.

^{Ukrainian drones with a flight range of 2,500 or even 3000 thousand kilometers will hit russian territory / Photo credit: BILD}

Apparently, the Defense Forces of Ukraine will be armed with drones that can reach 2000 kilometers. They compensate for the lack of medium- and long-range missiles. But the threats to russia do not end there either.

Drones with a flight range of 2,500 or even 3000 kilometers will soon go into mass production. These drones are developed by Ukrainian leading military enterprises.

Luch Design Bureau presented the Sokil-3000 drone. It will be able to reach even russia`s Murmansk Oblast in the future. russian invaders have more than eight dozen military bases there. Olenya air base is among them. This is the place of permanent deployment of Tu-95 strategic bombers. russian terrorists use these aircraft to attack peaceful Ukrainian cities.

^{Ukrainian Sokil-300 UAV / Photo credit: Defense Express}

quote:

Bloomberg: China provided satellite images, microelectronics, and machinery to Russia
The US is warning allies that China has stepped up its support for Russia, including by providing satellite imagery.

Bloomberg reported on this with reference to its own sources.

Amid signs of increased military cooperation between the two countries, China has provided Russia with satellite images of military facilities, as well as microelectronics and machinery tools.

According to one of the publication’s sources, Chinese support also includes optics, rocket fuel, and increased space cooperation.

According to White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson, US President Joe Biden expressed concern to Xi Jinping about his support for the Russian military industry during their phone call.

SPOILER

quote:

Chinese weapons and machinery
On March 3, Militarnyi reported that Russia started using 122mm artillery shells, which externally resemble Chinese-made shells.

The OF-56IM-1m 122mm artillery high-explosive extended-range shells, which the Russian army started to receive for D-30 122mm howitzers, somewhat resemble the Chinese 122mm projectile.

It is currently unknown whether these shells are produced on the territory of Russia, or whether China transfers them directly as part of assistance.

Earlier, on January 4, it was reported that the supply of high-tech machinery from China to the Russian Federation increased tenfold after the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russian customs reports show that Chinese manufacturers shipped $68 million worth of equipment in July, up from just $6.5 million in February 2022, when the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion.

On November 10, Militarnyi reported that the Chinese company AODES would supply the Russian army with more than 2 thousand Desertcross vehicles in various variations. Their use and destruction have been repeatedly reported.

At the end of October, information was released that Chinese companies were selling small arms, spare parts, navigation equipment, and protective equipment to Russia.

The Pentagon analyzed Russian customs data, which showed that both public and private companies sell civil goods, dual-use goods, and some minor military goods to Russia.

The Pentagon paid special attention to drones since the large and unregulated drone market in China allowed the Russians to purchase copters.

Between March 2022 and 2023, Chinese firms sold drones and components to Russia worth $12 million.

quote:

Putin will end war when he realizes it cannot be won on battlefield - Scholz
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz believes that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will end the war in Ukraine when he realizes that Russia cannot win on the battlefield
He said this at a meeting of European Social Democrats in Bucharest, Reuters reports.

"The war in Ukraine ends the moment that (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin decides to withdraw his troops. However, he will only take that decision if he realizes that he cannot win the war on the battlefield," said the German leader.

The German chancellor promised that his country would not stop its efforts to support Ukraine and called on the West to continue such support.

According to Scholz, the best way to prevent any escalation, including a potential conflict between Russia and NATO, is through effective deterrence.

"Therefore we are investing more in our own security and defense jointly as Europeans so that no one dares to attack us.”

• In his Easter address, the German Chancellor called on Germans to support Ukraine for the sake of a just peace.

quote:

Trump's RNC Chair Includes Ukraine in List of US Adversaries
Michael Whatley, Donald Trump's hand-picked Republican National Committee (RNC) chair, lumped in Ukraine with China and Iran when listing the United States' "aggressive" adversaries on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures.

"Joe Biden's feckless leadership has shown China, has shown Ukraine, has shown Iran, that they can feel free to be much more aggressive on the world front to the point where even they will try and meddle with our elections here," Whatley told host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday.

SPOILER

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The Context:
Whatley, who previously served as the chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, was elected to lead the RNC in March and now serves alongside co-chair Lara Trump, daughter-in-law to the former president.

Whatley has advocated for "election integrity" as Trump has following the former president's 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. Trump has continued to claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him via widespread voter fraud, despite there being no evidence of such tampering.

Trump, the presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee, will likely go up against Biden, the Democratic incumbent, again in November, with the backing of the RNC.

What We Know:
"I think that we are seeing right now that this election truly, truly matters on national security...when America is weak, the world is a far more dangerous place," Whatley said about this year's upcoming election on Sunday.

He then blamed Biden for showing countries like Ukraine that they can meddle with U.S. elections, despite there being no evidence to prove his claim. Meanwhile, Ukraine has been dealing with a war against Russian aggression since February 2022.

It has been over two years since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of the Eastern European country. Biden has been a strong ally to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky throughout the conflict and continues to press Congress to give more aid to the war-torn country, while some Republican lawmakers push against additional funding.

Newsweek reached out to the White House via email and the RNC via online form for comment.

Meanwhile, an investigation led by U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) special counsel Robert Mueller found that Russia attempted to help Trump win the presidency during his successful run in 2016, however, Trump's campaign team did not conspire with Moscow.

According to Mueller's findings, which were released in March 2019 in what is notoriously known as the Mueller report, "Although the investigation established that the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome, and that the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts, the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities."

Russia has denied allegations of election inference and Trump has called the Mueller report a "complete and total exoneration."

Views:
The clip of Whatley's interview was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by journalist Aaron Rupar, who said that the RNC chair "says the quiet part loud" by portraying Ukraine as the adversary.

Responding to Rupar's post, X user @TrumpsTaxes wrote: "Jesus. When listing America's top adversaries, RNC Chair Whatley *includes* Ukraine (along with Iran and China) and *omits* Russia. The entire Republican Party is so deep into Putin's pocket it's frightening."

Another X user, Matthew Spira, wrote: "They're no longer even pretending that they aren't completely parroting Russian propaganda."

Recently, Representative Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said: "I think Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it's infected a good chuck of my party's base."

When Jake Tapper asked Representative Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, if he agrees with McCaul's statement on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, he said: "It is absolutely true."

What's Next?
With the general election only seven months away, Trump's and Biden's campaigns are gearing up for a rematch.

Last month, Biden raised $25 million at a New York City fundraiser with former Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Meanwhile, Trump's campaign said that the former president's Saturday Palm Beach, Florida, fundraiser dinner raised over $50.5 million.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 16:57 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://en.defence-ua.com(...)0_km_soon-10078.html
[..]
Mooi, als het zo door gaat is het straks nergens meer veilig in Rusland.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 17:08 schreef polderturk het volgende:
De Oekra�nse geheime dienst heeft een Russisch oorlogsschip in brand gestoken.

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93rd Brigade’s pilots destroyed the Ural truck with a RBU-6000 naval rocket launcher

FPV drone operators of the Signum unit of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade destroyed an enemy ersatz MLR on a wheeled chassis with an RBU-6000 naval rocket launcher.

Volunteer Serhii Sternenko shared this on his social media page.

It is reported that the ersatz MRL was destroyed in the Bakhmut sector at coordinates 48.591009, 38.040667.

“This Frankenstein monster with a naval rocket launcher was driving through the Bakhmut sector, but after meeting your warm drone, there will be no more,” the report said.

Знищення ерзац-� СЗВ � БУ-6000

SPOILER

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RBU-6000 on the Ural truck chassis
On January 24, Militarnyi reported the Russians installed an RBU-6000 Smerch-2 213mm anti-submarine rocket launcher on the Ural 4320 truck chassis.

At the time, a truck with a rocket launcher was spotted in temporarily occupied Alchevsk in the Luhansk region.

RBU-6000 on the T-80B tank chassis
On January 23, it was reported that the Russians installed a naval rocket launcher on the T-80B tank chassis, allegedly belonging to the Russian Navy’s Marine unit.

Then, a video was published capturing launches from two such systems.

RBU-6000 on MT-LB chassis
In the fall of 2023, a photograph appeared of a naval rocket launcher on the MT-LB tracked tractor chassis.

RBU-6000
The RBU-6000 is a Soviet anti-submarine rocket launcher with a fixed dual-plane gun system with twelve radially located tubes.

It was developed by the Research and Development Centre №1 and adopted by the USSR Navy in 1961.

The system is designed to destroy enemy torpedoes and submarines.

The boundary angles of guidance RBU-6000 in the vertical plane are between -15� and +60�, and in the horizontal plane at the heading angle, they are between 0� and +180�.

The speed of the guidance drives in the automatic mode is 30� per second and 4� per second in the manual mode. Most likely, the units installed on the Ural, T-80B, and MT-LB are manually operated.

The launcher is armed with RGB-60 depth charges with a UDV-60 fuser.

The charges have a weight of 113.6 kilograms and a flight speed of up to 300 meters per second. The maximum firing range reaches 5230 meters.

The RBU-6000 installed on ships has a special mechanism for loading ammunition from the cellar under the system. Installed on vehicles and armored vehicles, the system will be charged manually.

Accordingly, most likely, there will be no Burya fire control system. Therefore, targeting will also be performed in manual mode, which will negatively affect the system’s accuracy.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 17:14 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Met 3000km kan de helft van rusland geraakt worden.
Ze zijn uiteraard te traag om luchtmachtbasissen effectief aan te vallen. Maar raffinaderijen gaat wel lukken.

In ander nieuws, de overstromingen in centraal rusland worden veel erger.

[ x ]

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 17:27 schreef over_hedge het volgende:

[..]
Is het al bekend hoe de us en Oekra�ne hier achter zitten?

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 17:14 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Met 3000km kan de helft van rusland geraakt worden.
Ze zijn uiteraard te traag om luchtmachtbasissen effectief aan te vallen. Maar raffinaderijen gaat wel lukken.

In ander nieuws, de overstromingen in centraal rusland worden veel erger.

[ x ]

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Russia Floods Sep 1994 UN DHA Information Report 1
DHA-GENEVA 94/0375

RUSSIA - FLOODS
DHA-INFORMATION REPORT NO. 1
23 SEPTEMBER 1994

1. ON 19 SEPTEMBER, FOLLOWING THREE DAYS OF TORRENTIAL RAIN, SEVERE FLOODS AFFECTED THE REGION OF PRIMORSKIJ IN THE FAR EAST OF THE COUNTRY NOT FAR FROM VLADIVOSTOK. MOST AFFECTED ARE THE DISTRICTS OF NAKHODKA AND USSURISK.

2. EMERCOM OF RUSSIA REPORTS THAT 45,000 HECTARES ARE FLOODED, WITH WATER LEVEL IN RIVERS STILL RISING. 86 VILLAGES HAVE BEEN AFFECTED WITH 3 PERSONS REPORTED DEAD AND 15 MISSING. 529 PEOPLE WERE RESETTLED. WATER SUPPLY TO THE TOWN OF NAKHODKA HAVE BEEN CUT.

3. AS OF 22 SEPTEMBER THE DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED AT USD 200 MILLION, WHICH INCLUDE PARTIAL OR TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF 808 KM OF ROADS, 104 BRIDGES, 64 KM OF POWER LINES, 40 KM OF COMMUNICATIONS LINES AND 44 HYDROTECHNICAL STATIONS.

4. EMERCOM UNITS HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED TO THE AFFECTED REGION AND GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN ALL EMERGENCY MEASURES TO COPE WITH THIS NATURAL DISASTER.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 17:40 schreef Ulx het volgende:
En dat zonder Taurus.

[ x ]

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 17:06 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://global.espreso.tv(...)n-battlefield-scholz
[..]
Klinkt mij als een prima argument om Taurus raketten beschikbaar te maken aan Oekra�ne. Dan zal Rusland des te sneller inzien dat zij de oorlog niet kunnen winnen. Want als wij elke keer gestopt waren aan de zogenaamde rode lijn van Rusland hing er nu de Russische vlag in Kiev.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 17:08 schreef polderturk het volgende:
De Oekra�nse geheime dienst heeft een Russisch oorlogsschip in brand gestoken.

[ x ]

Doet me denken aan de tocht naar Chatham toen Michiel de Ruyter in het diepste geheim naar London voer en de Britse vloot in brand stak.

Als we de Britten wat vaker hadden verslagen hadden wij misschien wel de dominante wereldmacht kunnen worden.

https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tocht_naar_Chatham

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Turner: Russian propaganda "being uttered on the House floor"
House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said Sunday that it's "absolutely true" that Russian propaganda has made its way into Congress.

Why it matters: Turner joins a growing line of GOP figures speaking out about it, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who said Russian propaganda has "infected a good chunk of my party's base."

What he's saying: "We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor," Turner said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday.

• Turner said there are "members of Congress today who still incorrectly say that this conflict between Russia and Ukraine is over NATO, which of course it is not."
• "Now, to the extent that this propaganda takes hold, it makes it more difficult for us to really see this as an authoritarian versus democracy battle, which is what it is," he added.

Catch up quick: McCaul appeared to place blame on conservative news outlets for what he sees as Russian propaganda making its way into parts of the GOP, per an earlier interview with Puck News.

• "There are some more nighttime entertainment shows that seem to spin, like, I see the Russian propaganda in some of it — and it's almost identical [to what they're saying on Russian state television] — on our airwaves," he told Puck News.
• Asked whether he has any examples of Republicans parroting Russian propaganda, McCaul said he thinks "it's pretty obvious."

Zoom out: Turner also said Ukraine "needs our help and assistance now," adding that "this is a very critical time for the U.S. Congress to step up and provide that aid."

• House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has signaled that the coming weeks will be a make-or-break period on Ukraine and other foreign aid funding, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

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MAVIC drone captured a Russian soldier
A Ukrainian military drone helped capture a Russian soldier.

The Russian occupant convinced the drone operators not to kill him by dropping ammunition and independently followed the drone to surrender.

This was reported in OK West.

The military published a video in which the Russian soldier follows the drone, which leads him to the Ukrainian military.

“MAVIC captured a Russian soldier. The future has already arrived. Now our drones are capturing Russian soldiers.”

“Drones are the basis of the current war. We have no right to lose”, – signed under the published video.

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Ukrainian command creates 30th Marine Corps
The army corps unites all marine infantry units under a common command.

Ukrainian Marine Corps of the Naval Forces has formed a new army corps, 30th Marine Corps. The new corps unites all marine units under a single command. It’s basically an analog to 7th Air Assault Corps, which unites all units of Air Assault Forces.

The commander of 30th Marine Corps has been appointed Maj. Gen. Dmytro Delyatsky, who served as the head of Military Academy in Odesa prior to this appointment.

The 30th Corps consist of four marine infantry brigades, two artillery brigades, one territorial defense brigade (soon to be a marine brigade), one reconnaissance battalion and other support elements.

The command of the Marine Corps is also undergoing a structural transformation. The management body will become a structural unit of the command of Naval Forces of Ukraine. The unit will be responsible for determining the need for resources and requirements by the 30th Marine Corps, and will carry out strategic planning of the use, training and development of marine units.

Who is Dmytro Delyatsky?
Dmytro Delyatsky is a Ukrainian officer, Major General of the Naval Forces of Ukraine. He graduated from Odesa Institute of Ground Forces in 1997. He commanded the 1st Marine Battalion until the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. Remaining loyal to Ukraine, Dmytro faced kidnapping and torture by Russian occupation forces. He returned to Ukraine in March 2014, bearing the physical scars of his captivity, including broken ribs.

In 2015, Dmytro Delyatsky took command of the newly established 36th Marine Brigade. His leadership saw further recognition when he became the deputy commander of the Marine Corps in 2018. Five years onward, he assumed the role of the head of the Military Academy in Odesa.

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Putin miscalculated on Finland’s border
If Russia wants to intimidate Finland by announcing it’ll avenge the country’s NATO accession with troops on the border, it needs to have plenty of troops at its disposal. And Russia simply doesn’t.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently threatened to station troops near the country’s border with Finland once again. That’s heavy saber-rattling, considering the border is more than 1,300 kilometers long. And Finland, of course, now enjoys the protection of its NATO allies, which means Putin’s threat is unlikely to cause any existential anxieties.

But this intimidation attempt will be unsuccessful for another crucial reason too: Russia doesn’t have enough soldiers.

SPOILER

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“We generally had ideal relations with Finland. Simply perfect. We did not have a single claim against each other, especially territorial, not to mention other areas. We didn’t even have troops; we removed all the troops from there, from the Russian-Finnish border,” Putin complained in an interview with the RIA state news agency last month. Even so, Finland joined NATO. “That’s what they decided. But we didn’t have troops there, now we will,” he added.

Putin’s complaint was much like that of a bully or abusive partner claiming everything was fine until the other person went to the police or moved out. Indeed, one wonders whether the Kremlin’s top occupants have ever considered the effect their words and actions have on other countries, as it was, of course, Russia’s belligerence that prompted Finland to apply for NATO membership.

But the problem with constantly menacing others is that it requires considerable resources. If Russia wants to intimidate Finland by announcing it’ll avenge the country’s NATO accession with troops on the border, it needs to have plenty of troops at its disposal. And Russia simply doesn’t.

“The Russians won’t have the resources to build infrastructure, produce new heavy weaponry and recruit considerable numbers of forces to our border before the 2030s,” retired Major General Pekka Toveri, a former chief of Finnish military intelligence and recently elected member of the Finnish parliament, told me.

“Finland is a very demanding operational environment, as the Soviets learned during World War II. The Soviets called it ‘operations in swamp-forest area,’ and it does require special training and equipment that they don’t have.” Indeed, most of Finland’s border area is complete wilderness, which isn’t suitable for modern mechanized combat.

Meanwhile, so stretched is the Russian military that just months after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin had already transferred its troops stationed near the Finnish border to duty in Ukraine — even though Putin claims they were removed as a sign of friendship with Finland.

“They still have the 138th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade in Kamenka [near St. Petersburg], around 50 kilometers from the Finnish border,” Toveri noted. “But the garrison is pretty empty, with no combat-ready troops because they’re all in Ukraine. And all the five brigades close to us were half-strength already before the war.” And though Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made belligerent noises when Finland joined NATO, no troops were redeployed to the Finnish border.

Such is the Russian armed forces’ over-extension, it’s hardly surprising Finnish leaders have reacted calmly to Putin’s announcement.

Indeed, the Russian armed forces have struggled so badly to recruit enough soldiers for the war that they’ve had to hand over some areas to the paramilitary Wagner Group’s mercenaries — not to mention recruit prison inmates. Some 100,000 convicts have already been recruited for war duty in exchange for freedom, and because these poorly trained soldiers are killed in large numbers, they have to be constantly replenished. (The ex-prisoners are also notorious for marauding and pillaging.) So it came as no surprise when, a few months into its “special military operation,” Russia was also forced to execute a partial mobilization, which was only partially successful, since many eligible men had already left the country.

And now, Putin — who said late last year that Russia had 617,000 soldiers in Ukraine — wants to further grow the country’s armed forces. But it’s hard to sustain a force of 600,000 in Ukraine when the total size of Russia’s armed forces is 1.15 million. Perhaps unsurprisingly, last December Putin ordered the armed forces to grow to some 1.32 million; around the same time, Shoigu suggested they should grow to 1.5 million by 2026.

This, however, still raises the question of where these soldiers will come from, and how good they will be. It’s hardly surprising that — Wagner and ex-convicts notwithstanding — rumors of the Kremlin planning another round of mobilization have begun circulating.

As the Russian armed forces struggle with the most basic of tasks, Finnish politicians can afford to not be alarmed by Putin’s threats — for now. But the risk of Russian aggression will remain because Russia seems unlikely to fundamentally change in the near future. An adversary’s military recruitment problems are simply good luck, and our luck won’t last. That’s why Finland and Sweden were wise to join NATO.

But this time, Putin overplayed the mighty Russian military’s strength, and underestimated the ability of Western politicians to understand basic arithmetic.

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 18:12 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Goeie klap.

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Special forces show car with Russian officers being destroyed by FPV drone
Soldiers of the 2nd Assault Detachment of the Omega Special Forces Center showed how they destroyed a car with Russian officers in the east using an FPV drone.
According to Ukrinform, the Omega Special Forces Center of the National Guard of Ukraine reported this on Facebook and posted a relevant video.

In the eastern direction, during aerial reconnaissance, Omega soldiers spotted a civilian car moving toward Russian positions.

"From the radio intercepts, it became clear that they were officers of the enemy unit,” the special forces said.

As a result of an FPV drone strike on the car, one Russian invader was killed and another was wounded.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Air Assault Forces showed how they, together with the National Guard, destroyed a column of Russian troops.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 18:21 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.politico.eu/a(...)d-on-finland-border/
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

Een opinie stuk. Maar zij maakt wel een aantal goede punten. Rusland kan zijn eigen grens met Oekra�ne niet eens beveiligen. Daar zijn gewoonweg niet genoeg troepen en materieel voor. Hoe willen zij dan ooit ook nog eens de grens met Finland gaan beveiligen. En dan heeft Finland nu ook nog eens de hele NAVO achter zich staan.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 17:18 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Ja ik zag hem al langs komen, maar ik weet niet of het waar is.

Indien waar, dan betekent dat dat de russische vloot nergens ter wereld meer veilig is. Wat natuurlijk een enorm probleem is, aangezien de Balitsche en Pacifische vloten gestript zijn van personeel om te gaan vechten in Oekraine.

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Russia's ice-class ship Katerina Velikaya reportedly caught fire, leaving 1 dead, 3 injured

Russia's unique ice navigation vessel Katerina Velikaya caught fire while it was under repair at the shipyard Dalzavod in Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, Russia's Far Eastern Prosecutor's Office claimed on April 8.

The fire reportedly started at around 3:00 a.m. local time and was put out six hours later. One person was killed, and three others were hospitalized due to the fire, according to the local prosecutor's office.

"Law enforcement officials are currently conducting inspections and trying to determine the circumstances of the incident," the prosecutor's office said as of 9 a.m. local time.

Katerina Velikaya, built in 2020, is an Icebreaker 7-class vessel that can operate in the conditions of the Arctic Circle and travel through ice thickness up to 2.5 meters.

Katerina Velikaya can carry out various tasks, such as transporting cargo in sea ice conditions, setting the anchor on other vessels, escorting and rescuing ships, eliminating oil spills and external fires, and monitoring the ice sheet.

Several weeks ago, Russia reportedly lost the military landing ship Konstantin Olshansky, which was hit by a Neptune missile, according to Ukraine's Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk. It was one of many Ukrainian ships seized by Russian forces during the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russia's Black Sea Fleet targets in occupied Crimea, successfully targeting several ships and forcing Russian forces to redeploy to safer waters.

The Strategic Communications Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (StratCom) recently reported that as of early February 2024, 33% of the fleet's warships had been disabled, including 24 ships and one submarine.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 18:24 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Wait, what? Rusland zet marinepersoneel in aan het front?

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Lithuania offers to dismantle its shuttered TPPs, donate reusable components to help Ukraine rebuild
Closed Lithuanian TPPs can be disassembled and reusable parts then handed over to Ukraine

The Ministry of Energy of Lithuania offered to disassemble its closed thermal power plants into spare parts for the Ukrainian energy system, Ukraine's Energy Minister German Halushchenko said on national television.

"I had a conversation with the minister of energy of Lithuania. They offered to use their thermal stations, which are closed. To use them as donors, that is, there is an opportunity to disassemble and get the spare parts we need," he said.

Halushchenko added that other countries are also helping Ukraine cope with the consequences of Russian attacks against the energy sector.

At the same time, according to the official, the best defense is to strengthen Ukraine's air defense system.

The thermal power plant in Vilnius, Lithuania was closed In 2016.

The government of Ukraine is studying various possibilities of financing the repair of energy facilities. One of the possible options is to increase the electricity tariff for the population.

Since March 2024, Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine's energy system. On the night of March 22, the Russian Federation used 63 kamikaze drones and 88 missiles of various types to attack Ukraine. Anti-aircraft defense managed to shoot down 55 Shahed UAVs and 37 missiles. Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, the chairman of the board of NPC Ukrenergo, called it the biggest attack on the energy system of Ukraine during the war.

Another powerful attack took place on March 29. Then the Russians used 60 Shaheds and 39 missiles, and the air defense managed to shoot down 58 drones and 26 missiles.

As a result of the strikes, the Dnipro HPP in Zaporizhzhya, the Kharkiv CHP-5, the Zmiyiv TPP of the Centrenergo company, the Burshtyn and Ladyzhyn TPPs of the DTEK company were destroyed.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 18:35 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
Das niet heel abnormaal toch?

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 18:21 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.politico.eu/a(...)d-on-finland-border/
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

Een opinie stuk. Maar zij maakt wel een aantal goede punten. Rusland kan zijn eigen grens met Oekra�ne niet eens beveiligen. Daar zijn gewoonweg niet genoeg troepen en materieel voor. Hoe willen zij dan ooit ook nog eens de grens met Finland gaan beveiligen. En dan heeft Finland nu ook nog eens de hele NAVO achter zich staan.

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Moscow concert hall attack suspects say they planned to flee to Ukraine
Video excerpts of the suspected Moscow concert hall attackers being interrogated that were released by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on Sunday evening appear to support Russia’s previous claims that Ukraine was somehow involved in the attack.

The various video clips, which were also shown on Russian state TV, show the four suspected gunmen being interrogated separately and saying that they planned to flee to Ukraine after carrying out the attack.

One of the suspects shown on video, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, said that they had received instructions from a man named Sayfullo, who told them to head for Kyiv, where they would be paid 1 million rubles (�10,000).

Rachabalizoda is believed to be the suspect who had part of his ear cut off and was forced to eat it in a video released shortly after he was apprehended by law enforcement officers after the attack.

Another suspect, Muhammadsobir Fayzov, who was previously taken into court on a stretcher, confirmed that the attackers had been promised 1 million rubles, adding that they were supposed to meet with people on the Ukrainian border who would “help them get to Kyiv”.

Russian state TV claimed that landmines had been cleared by the Ukrainians and two “corridors” created to allow the fugitives to cross safely into the country’s Sumy region. There was no independent confirmation of these claims, however.

Russian investigators announced on Friday that they had been able access the alleged gunmen’s phones, and that their contents “may indicate a connection” between the terror attack and the war in Ukraine.

The reports align with Russia’s campaign to blame Ukraine and the West for masterminding the Crocus City Hall attack, with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week arguing that Russia could “hardly be an object of attack by Islamic fundamentalists” as the country was “a unique example of interfaith and interethnic unity”.

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Media: Russia destroys over 60,000 hectares of Ukrainian forests
Russia's war against Ukraine has destroyed more than 60,000 hectares of forests, with the cost of damages amounting to at least Hr 14 billion ($360 million), according to an investigation by NGL Media published on April 8.

According to Ukraine's intelligence, the Kremlin authorized the destruction of Ukrainian forests for military and commercial purposes already at the start of the full-scale war in 2022. This represents yet another environmental impact wrought by Russia's war.

The State Forest Resources Agency estimated that almost 30% of Ukraine's forests have suffered some kind of damage due to hostilities. Based on NGL Media's analysis of satellite images, some 60,000 hectares were reportedly destroyed completely.

The outlet stressed that the figure of Hr 14 billion is merely the lowest estimate, not taking into account the value of wood that could have been produced on the affected territory or environmental damages.

Long-term ecological consequences may include lowering of the groundwater level, as forests retain water and prevent soil erosion. Further risks include the reduction of biodiversity, worsening of the air quality, rivers and ponds drying up, and fire outbreaks.

Then-Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said last April that Russia is actively destroying the natural resource potential of occupied territories, harvesting forests on a large scale in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and other oblasts.

Forests in southern Ukraine were also impacted by Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023.

Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets told Deutsche Welle on Jan. 31 that the environmental costs of Russia's war have already exceeded Hr 2.2 trillion ($56.6 billion). Kyiv has recorded 3,600 Russian crimes against the environment, he added.

quote:

Turkish ombudsman to visit Ukrainian prisoners in Russia

Having made sure that the Ukrainian side complies with the Geneva Conventions, Sheref Malkoch intends to obtain permission from the Russian Federation for a similar visit to Russia.
Turkish Chief Ombudsman Sheref Malkoc intends to pay a visit to places where Ukrainian prisoners of war are held in the Russian Federation. This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War of the Defence Ministry.

After visiting the camp with Russian prisoners in Ukraine, the Chief Ombudsman of the Republic of Turkey Seref Malko� is going to go to Russia to check the conditions of detention of Ukrainian prisoners on the territory of the aggressor state, - stated in the message.

It is noted that having made sure that the Ukrainian side complies with the Geneva Conventions, Sheref Malkoc intends to obtain permission from the Russian side for a similar visit to Russia. The Turkish human rights defender hopes that such a visit can "pave the way for a prisoner exchange".

If we have the opportunity, we plan to go to Russia and conduct similar research and then publish a report. But I repeat again that more important than the publication of the report, if we could contribute to it, at least in part, would be the exchange of prisoners," Sheref Malkoch said.

At the end of March, a delegation from Sheref Malkoc visited a camp in western Ukraine where Russian prisoners of war are being held.

The Turkish ombudsman was accompanied by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, who is also a representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

During his trip to Ukraine, Sheref Malkoc took part in a large meeting with the families of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 18:24 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Wait, what? Rusland zet marinepersoneel in aan het front?

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 18:55 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://en.socportal.info(...)prisoners-in-russia/
[..]
Als de Russen het toelaten zal het meer een toneelstukje zijn dan de realiteit natuurlijk.

quote:

Russian trolls target U.S. support for Ukraine, Kremlin documents show
When President Biden proposed an additional $24 billion in supplemental funding for Ukraine in August, Moscow spin doctors working for the Kremlin were ready to try to undermine public support for the bill, internal Kremlin documents show.

In an ongoing campaign that seeks to influence congressional and other political debates to stoke anti-Ukraine sentiment, Kremlin-linked political strategists and trolls have written thousands of fabricated news articles, social media posts and comments that promote American isolationism, stir fear over the United States’ border security and attempt to amplify U.S. economic and racial tensions, according to a trove of internal Kremlin documents obtained by a European intelligence service and reviewed by The Washington Post.

One of the political strategists, for instance, instructed a troll farm employee working for his firm to write a comment of “no more than 200 characters in the name of a resident of a suburb of a major city.” The strategist suggested that this fictitious American “doesn’t support the military aid that the U.S. is giving Ukraine and considers that the money should be spent defending America’s borders and not Ukraine’s. He sees that Biden’s policies are leading the U.S. toward collapse.”

The documents — numbering more than 100 and dating between May 2022 and August 2023 — were provided to The Post to expose Kremlin propaganda operations aimed at undermining support for Ukraine in the United States, as well as their scale and methods. The files are part of a series of leaks that have allowed a rare glimpse into Moscow’s parallel efforts to weaken support for Ukraine in France and Germany, as well as destabilize Ukraine itself.

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Russia has been ramping up its propaganda operations as part of a second front that current and former senior Western officials said has become almost as important for Moscow as the military campaign in Ukraine — especially as congressional approval for further aid has become critical for Kyiv’s ability to continue defending itself.

“It is Russia’s top priority to stop the weapons, so they are throwing things at the wall to see what sticks,” said one Republican staffer on Capitol Hill. “We are seeing a broad-based campaign that has multiple lines of effort, some of which work better than others. The Russians don’t care. They are just trying to seed the environment.” The staffer and other Western officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive assessments.

The campaign has attempted to paint Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as corrupt, emphasized the numbers of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, called for border security to be funded over any aid to Ukraine, and described “white Americans” as the principal losers because of foreign aid, the documents show.

The strategy promotes views from the far-right wing of the Republican Party and calls for some of the messaging to be voiced by American “public opinion leaders and politicians,” one of the documents shows, but it does not name any people who could be enlisted to do that.

Many of the documents contain metadata showing they were written by members of a team working for Ilya Gambashidze, head of the Moscow PR firm Social Design Agency. The United States imposed sanctions on Gambashidze last month for his involvement in “a persistent foreign malign influence campaign” at the Kremlin’s direction, including the creation of websites designed to impersonate legitimate media outlets in Europe, part of a campaign that Western officials have called “Doppelganger.”

Neither Gambashidze nor Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to a request for comment.

The campaign is part of an increasingly sophisticated strategy that has built on nearly 10 years of Kremlin efforts to elevate the voices of populist anti-establishment politicians opposed to the U.S. global role, analysts and former American officials said.

With the far-right wing of the Republican Party essentially blocking passage of any further assistance to Ukraine since August, the Kremlin’s efforts to undermine support for Ukraine may have so far gained more traction in the United States than anywhere else.

“The impact of the Russian program over the last decade … is seen in the U.S. congressional debate over Ukraine aid,” said Clint Watts, the head of Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center. “They have had an impact in a strategic aggregate way.”

“You would never have previously heard … politicians in the U.S. saying Ukraine is not significant enough and we will not support NATO. On a digital platform, your ability to do these things works.”

Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio), who chairs the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Sunday it was “absolutely true” that some Republican members of Congress were repeating Russian propaganda about the invasion of Ukraine. “We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages — some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor,” Turner said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Watts said Russia “tells audiences 80 percent of what they are already hearing and 20 percent what they want the audiences to hear. They match the demand for information and then add some of their own information, and over time, that’s highly effective.”

Kremlin efforts to interfere in the U.S. political system first became evident in the run-up to the 2016 presidential elections, when the U.S. intelligence community concluded that Russia had deployed a network of trolls — creators of fake social media accounts — to spread disinformation boosting the presidential campaign of Donald Trump and seeking to sabotage Hillary Clinton’s candidacy, including stories using material hacked from the Clinton campaign. Since then, some social media platforms have sought to tighten scrutiny of hostile state actors, but disinformation campaigns still proliferate.

Plans by Gambashidze’s team refer to using “short-lived” social media accounts aimed at avoiding detection. Social media manipulators have established a technique of using accounts to send out links to material and then deleting their posts or accounts once others have reshared the content. The idea is to obscure the true origin of misleading information and keep the channel open for future influence operations, disinformation researchers said.

Propaganda operatives have used another technique to spread just a web address, rather than the words in a post, to frustrate searches for that material, according to the social media research company Alethea, which called the tactic “writing with invisible ink.” Other obfuscation tricks include redirecting viewers through a series of seemingly random websites until they arrive at a deceptive article.

One of the documents reviewed by The Post called for the use of Trump’s Truth Social platform as the only way to disseminate posts “without censorship,” while “short-lived” accounts would be created for Facebook, Twitter (now known as X) and YouTube.

Pushing content every single day
The Kremlin turned in earnest to undermining American support for Ukraine in January 2023. Sergei Kiriyenko, the Kremlin’s first deputy chief of staff, called in the team of political strategists already working on campaigns to weaken backing for Kyiv in Europe, including Gambashidze, and asked them to expand their efforts, the documents show. The strategists employ dozens of troll farm employees and translators.

The Moscow spin doctors were soon ordered to create media content for Americans that would promote corruption allegations involving the Ukrainian leadership — “the sale and theft of weapons” given to Ukraine, one document shows.

The strategists were told to cultivate an environment in which “Americans are not ready to sacrifice their well-being for the sake of the conflict in Ukraine,” as well as representing Russia’s increasingly close relationship with China as a new threat “created by the U.S.’s own activities.”

When Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a leading opponent of aid to Ukraine, warned of “a dangerous bipartisan consensus that is leading us into war with Russia” and slammed Washington’s initial $40 billion aid package for Kyiv in 2022 as coming “while Americans go without baby formula,” the Russians singled it out for their trolls as an example of the kind of message that should be amplified.

“It’s important to note that for effective work we need to keep fakes to the minimum and realistic information to the max,” one of the proposals by Gambashidze’s team of strategists states. “A constant refrain should be: ‘this is what’s really happening, this is what the official media are not telling you about.’ ”

A spokesman for Gaetz, Joel Valdez, responded to Kremlin strategists invoking the congressman’s statements by noting that Gaetz had been personally sanctioned by Russia in April 2022. Hundreds of House members were sanctioned at that time.

Social media posts and comments were to be created as well as YouTube videos that would stoke racial and social discord in the United States and amplify the themes of “universal poverty, record inflation, a halt to economic growth … the risk of job losses for white Americans, privileges for colored and degenerate people and invalids,” according to the proposal, the metadata of which shows it was written by a member of Gambashidze’s team.

The posts would promote fears that overspending on foreign policy had been to “the detriment of defending the interests of white people in the U.S.” and the idea that “America will lose, despite Biden’s efforts, that we will be drawn into war and our guys will die in Ukraine.”

The strategists wrote numerous recommendations for articles or social media posts, the documents show. One sought to compare the level of homelessness in America with that of Russia and states that the United States is starting to increasingly resemble a “Third World country.” A recommended social media comment from a fictitious American in response to the article states: “I am overcome with anger when another Ukrainian aid package is distributed right before my eyes into the pockets of American and Ukrainian officials. Indeed, it is hard to understand such gestures of ‘help’ when one’s own homeless sit at the feet of passersby [and] sleep under bridges.”

As the Biden administration prepared once again this spring to try to push supplemental funding for Ukraine through Congress, sites linked by Microsoft and other social media researchers to the Kremlin campaign launched fresh attempts to spread misleading content over immigration and the border with Mexico. In one instance, a site identified by Meta as part of the Doppelganger network posted an article about what it called a wave of illegal immigration that it claimed was “undermining the foundation of national security.”

“You just have to push content every single day, Watts said. “It is really the availability of that over time that does work, as someone will stumble over it, a politician or celebrity will find it over time just based on the availability of content.”

The drafts proposed by the strategists reflect themes and narratives visible on the Recent Reliable News network and other related outlets — sites that remain online and that the documents show are controlled by the Kremlin officials working with Gambashidze and other strategists. The texts published were different, according to Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center, which reviewed a sample of the comments and articles created by Gambashidze’s team. Microsoft and the social media intelligence company Graphika said it was possible the draft articles were published on Doppelganger sites later taken down and blocked by social media platforms. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, joined social media research companies to first expose the Doppelganger campaign in September 2022.

As the Kremlin spin doctors worked, they closely monitored opinion polling in the United States and a decline in support among Americans, especially Republicans, for Ukraine. They also conducted twice-monthly surveys with a mechanism they called “river sampling” — conducting internet polls through online advertising and social media networks such as Facebook and TikTok. The results, showing small declines in support for Ukraine, seem wholly unreliable but were passed along to the strategists’ Kremlin masters as measures of success.

Fake news articles alleging Zelensky’s corruption pushed out by Russian-linked websites during the congressional debates on assistance for Ukraine in the fall have resonated. One of the most successful claims was disseminated by DC Weekly — a respectable-seeming internet outlet, which disinformation researchers at Clemson University traced back to domains affiliated with a former American police officer, John Mark Dougan, who has reinvented himself as a pro-Russian journalist in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.

Through DC Weekly, a fake news story alleging that Zelensky had bought two yachts with American aid money went viral in November. The claim — patently false and denied by Zelensky’s government — was picked up by far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who linked to a story about the rumor on X.

One pro-Ukraine senator, North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis told CNN that the debate on aid had been halted in part because some politicians said they were concerned about the corruption allegations and the notion that “people will buy yachts with this money.”

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Trump's advisor denies alleged plans to push Ukraine to cede territory
An advisor to Donald Trump, the U.S. Republican Party's presumptive nominee for the 2024 presidential run, refuted claims in the media that the ex-president would push Ukraine to give up some of its territory if reelected, The New York Post reported on April 7.

The Washington Post wrote earlier the same day, citing undisclosed sources, that Trump had privately said he could end Russia's war by pressuring Ukraine to cede Crimea and Donbas to Moscow.

According to the Washington Post, Trump also said he believes that both Moscow and Kyiv "want to save face, they want a way out," claiming that Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territories would be okay with being part of Russia.

"The whole thing is fake news from the Washington Post. They're just making it up," Trump's advisor, Jason Miller, told The New York Post.

"President Trump is the only one talking about stopping the killing. Joe Biden is talking about more killing."

Trump has repeatedly said he could end Russia's war within 24 hours if elected president, without specifying the steps for reaching a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.

Biden's most likely challenger during the upcoming election has also extensively criticized the current administration's support for Ukraine.

Hard-line Republican lawmakers close to Trump oppose further assistance for Kyiv, reportedly pressuring House Speaker Mike Johnson not to call a vote on the $60 billion aid package for Ukraine in the House of Representatives.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of ceding the country's territories in exchange for peace. At the same time, Zelensky said that Ukraine is likely to lose the war unless Congress approves additional support.

Russia illegally annexed Crimea and invaded Donbas in 2014. In September 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally declared the annexation of four partially occupied Ukrainian oblasts: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

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The Russian Federation announced the transition to the production of gunpowder from its own raw materials
Russia is trying to localize the production of artillery gunpowder from its own raw materials to get rid of dependence on foreign supplies.

Bekkhan Ozdoev, Industrial Director of the Weapons, Ammunition and Special Chemicals of Rostec State Corporation announced this.

Ozdoev said that last year, the corporation’s enterprises had begun commercial production of gunpowder from alternative raw materials, such as wood and flax pulp.

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“A set of tests and practical firings showed that this powder is in no way inferior to traditional powder. There is no shortage of wood in Russia. In the future, the share of new raw materials in gunpowder production will reach 60-70%,” he said.

At the same time, based on trade data, The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia was still producing little nitrocellulose, the main component of artillery gunpowder brands, and relied more on raw materials from abroad.

According to the publication, in the first year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, imports of these products increased by 70% in 2022. By mid-2023, 3,039 tons had been imported, almost twice as much as in 2021.

Foreign gunpowder – Russian ammunition
After the full-scale invasion began, the EU and the US imposed sanctions on Russia and officially restricted the sale of gunpowder, but China replaced these supplies.

However, according to trade data, almost half of Russia’s current nitrocellulose imports go through a small Turkish company, Noy. Through this company, Russia buys nitrocellulose produced in the US, Germany, and Taiwan.

The German subsidiaries of New York-based International Flavors & Fragrances sold at least 80 tons of nitrocellulose to Noy, which then shipped the products to Russia. Taiwan’s TNC Industrial produced more than 500 tons of nitrocellulose, which Noy shipped to Russia last year. Over the past two years, the company has purchased a similar volume of products from German manufacturer Hagedorn-NC and shipped them to Russia.

In addition, the Russian importer Analytical Marketing Chemical Group has received nitrocellulose from Taiwan over the past two years worth almost $700,000. The organization’s website states that the company is a regular partner of the Kazan Gunpowder Plant.

However, even these supplies may not be enough for Russia due to the chronic shortage of gunpowder on the world market. This may be an additional argument for increasing the production of its own raw materials, in addition to the intention to get rid of dependence on foreign supplies.

According to Ozdoev, Rostec’s plants are 100% full with ammunition production and operate around the clock, while the government continues to look for opportunities and is working to expand production capacity.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 18:41 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

[..]
Gebeurt idd vaker.
Ik kan me uit het begin van de oorlog nog herinneren dat een overlevende matroos van de het allereerste gezonken schip een matroos na een paar dagen omscholing in een tank werd gezet.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 19:23 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Ondertussen...

[ x ]

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Russian activist who helped Ukrainian refugees returning home dies in pretrial detention


A Russian activist who assisted and often housed Ukrainians attempting to return home from Russia has died while in pretrial detention in the southwestern city of Belgorod, according to a report by independent news outlet Vot Tak on Monday.

Citing two friends who wished to remain anonymous, Vot Tak said that Alexander Demidenko, 61, died while in police custody on Friday. However, his relatives were not informed of his death for three days, while his lawyer, Yelena Palimova, told Russian independent news outlet 7х7 Horizontal Russia that she was unaware of her client’s death.

"We don’t know the details. I think my father killed himself, because for such an active and freedom-loving man, the thought of a probable future behind bars was intolerable,” Demidenko’s son Oleg told Vot Tak, adding that his father had already been “psychologically killed by six months” in custody without being allowed family visits or even books to read.

Demidenko had been in pretrial detention following an FSB search of his home last year in which a grenade and two detonators were found.

Demidenko’s son said that he had received a letter from his father in which he had confessed to charges of illegal arms trafficking, but added that he believed it had been written under duress and in order to save those around him from persecution.

Before his arrest, Demidenko provided assistance to Ukrainians in Belgorod who wanted to leave Russia via the Kolotilovka checkpoint. He also regularly hosted refugees who had been displaced from the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine and helped them return to home.

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Sea Drone Found In Black Sea Is American Boat With Massive Soviet Warhead
A mysterious maritime drone (USV) has been discovered in the Black Sea. The capsized vessel marries a U.S. built hull with a Soviet-era Russian warhead. At around 500 kg (1,100 lb), the warhead is more than twice the size of that on a Harpoon or Neptune missile.

^{The new USV is evidently a converted AM-800 rigid inflatable boat (RIB). It is armed with a massive warhead from a Soviet-era Styx anti-ship missile.}

An unusual maritime drone was discovered floating upside down in Romanian waters on April 3 2024. The new type of uncrewed surface vessel (USV) was actually based on an American built rescue boat, modified as a drone. It was equipped with a large warhead indicating that it was designed to hit ships or other naval targets.

Romanian forces reportedly destroyed the boat in a controlled explosion on April 5. The events were not publicized initially and few details were revealed when it was later shared in local media. However an analysis of the vessel answers the questions of what it is, yet raises new questions.

The USV uses an AM-800 aluminum-hull rigid inflatable boat (RIB). This is produced by Silver Ships in Alabama, United States. The boat is designed for fire rescue and the original red finish is still visible on the lower hull and inflatable collar.

The AM-800 is around 9.5 meters (31 feet) long including the outboard motors. While still small, this makes it nearly twice the length of the Magura and Sea Baby USVs Ukraine is using. The RIB is likely to be seen from further away. Its powerful warhead may make up for this.

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Powerful warhead from Styx missile
The warhead is from a P-20 Styx anti-ship missile. This is a Soviet-era weapon and, while still in service in Russia, is generally viewed as obsolete. It has a noticeably powerful warhead though, it’s main merit. Both Russia and Ukraine likely have easy access to this type of warhead.

The warhead is mounted on a crude wooden frame in the forward deck of the boat. It is a ‘4G20′ model which is associated with P-20 export model variants of the Styx missile. It weighs just under 500kg (1,100lb) of TGAG-5 explosives which is 60% TNT, 20% RDX, 15% aluminum powder and 5% phlegmatizing wax. For context, this is over twice the size of the Harpoon anti-ship missiles’ warhead.

Interestingly, the Houthi Movement has also used this type of warhead on some of its explosive USVs. The Houthi’s had access to these warheads from legacy Yemeni Navy stocks so there is no suggestion of a direct link to this new vessel.

The warhead has a shaped charge at the front to punch a large hole in the ship before the main charge detonates, thus causing more damage. This is described as a high-explosive-cumulative charge. In the missile the shaped charge is facing slightly downwards to cause maximum damage. On the USV however it is desirable to direct the shaped charge directly forward, so the whole warhead has been mounted at an angle. While the stand-off detonation from the USV is less desirable than the penetrating hit of the missile, the size of the warhead makes this USV formidable.

Attribution: Whose is it?
The nationality of the vessel was not shared officially, although some local media suggested that it is Ukrainian. The nature of the vessel, and being based on an American hull, does support this conclusion. The manufacturer, Silver Ships, had previously been reportedly supplying unspecified craft to Ukraine as part of U.S. Aid. So it seems most straightforward that it is Ukrainian. It possibly capsized further north and drifted to where it was found.

However the possibility that it could be Russian should be seriously considered. Russia has tried to disrupt or prevent merchant ships sailing to Ukraine since the end of the Black Sea Grain Initiative last July. Efforts have focused on attacking Ukrainian port infrastructure, but air-dropped mines have also been used. This is likely because mines are more deniable than using warships or missiles.

However the mines have been unsuccessful so far, with some Ukrainian sources suggesting that the Russians are now unable to sow them. Therefore Russia may be tempted to use USVs to hit ships, thus reestablishing a de facto blockade. Although it may be clear which country is doing it, the USVs would still be deniable. It is likely that Russian propaganda would blame Ukraine to create enough ambiguity to avoid immediate consequences.

Whether this USV was Ukrainian (which seems most likely) or Russian may be revealed in due course. But the likelihood of both sides operating USVs in the Black Sea is increasing so a Russian craft is bound to turn up sooner or later.

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Trump campaign announces record $50.5 million haul at Florida fundraiser
Donald Trump’s campaign said it raised $50.5 million at a Saturday fundraiser in Florida, a staggering sum as the former president’s political operation scrambles to close its big financial gap with President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.

The haul announced by the campaign and top officials with the Republican National Committee far eclipses the $26 million that Biden reported collecting recently at a star-studded gathering in New York City that featured former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. The Trump total from the “Inaugural Leadership Dinner” at the Palm Beach, Florida, home of billionaire investor John Paulson sets a record for a single fundraising event.

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“It’s clearer than ever that we have the message, the operation, and the money to propel President Trump to victory on November 5,” Trump campaign senior advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a statement.

Trump delivered a traditional campaign speech to wealthy donors at the fundraiser, highlighting core issues he wants to focus on in a second term: extending his 2017 tax cuts, securing the southern border, and ending Biden’s electric vehicle mandates, according to a Trump campaign official and a guest of the event.

The closed-door dinner, hosted at the home of billionaire investor John Paulson, signaled that some of the GOP’s biggest donors are rallying behind Trump as the general election showdown with Biden swings into gear.

Trump, who sat between Paulson and former first lady Melania Trump, spoke from the head table for roughly 45 minutes, according to the campaign official.

“President Trump spoke on the need to win back the White House so we can turn our country around, focusing on key issues including unleashing energy production, securing our southern border, reducing inflation, extending the Trump Tax Cuts, eliminating Joe Biden’s insane EV mandate, protecting Israel, and avoiding global war,” the official said.

The Biden campaign criticized Trump for the high-dollar fundraiser, saying he’s not fighting for ordinary Americans.

“Donald Trump spent his entire presidency lining the pockets of wealthy tax avoiders like himself at the expense of the middle class,” Biden campaign spokeswoman Sarafina Chitika said in a statement. “The American people deserve a president that fights for main street, not Wall Street.”

An array of wealthy GOP figures were billed as event “co-chairs,” including hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah; oil tycoon Harold Hamm; hotelier and space entrepreneur Robert Bigelow; and casino mogul Steve Wynn, according to an invitation obtained by CNN.

The price tag for the fundraiser ranged from $250,000 per person for those serving on the “host committee” to $824,600 per person to serve as a “chairman.” Perks for those contributing at the top level included dinner seating at Trump’s table.

But Trump has lots of ground to make up in the fundraising race.

Biden and the Democratic Party on Saturday announced raising more than $90 million in March and entering April with some $192 million in available cash in their war chest.

The Trump campaign and the RNC announced raising a combined $65.6 million in March and said they closed the month with $93.1 million in cash on hand.

The Palm Beach fundraiser collected money for the Trump 47 Committee, a joint fundraising operation that includes Trump’s campaign, the RNC and state party committees. It also benefited a leadership PAC that has underwritten Trump’s personal legal bills and is part of the joint fundraising agreement.

For its part, Biden’s team has said its early fundraising advantage has helped build a campaign infrastructure in key battleground states — including opening more than 100 new campaign offices.

The team has also highlighted its grassroots fundraising operation as a tool that can sustain the president’s campaign through the long haul of the general election. The campaign said 96% of its first-quarter donations were under $200.

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Johnson confronts most significant threat to his speakership to date as key decisions over Ukraine aid loom
House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing down yet another pivotal week of his speakership as he confronts both the threat of an ouster and mounting pressure to decide whether he will finally move ahead on aid to Ukraine, which he’s been pledging to pursue for months.

Throughout the two-week Easter recess, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has kept up her attacks against Johnson as she continues to warn the speaker against pursuing any Ukraine aid package. But Johnson has also been working behind the scenes in an effort to thread the needle and find a package that could pass.

The issue for Johnson remains that any aid to Ukraine will need a large number of Democratic votes. Creating legislation that could attract enough Democratic support to get Ukraine across the finish line and included funding for Israel could be difficult, especially in the wake of an Israeli strike that killed World Central Kitchen aid workers last week. Following the strike, more Democrats have signaled they are open to attaching conditions to aid for Israel, a dynamic that could complicate future efforts to approve Israel aid through Congress.

For their part, GOP leaders are looking at potentially breaking the package into pieces, but getting that through the Senate could be yet another heavy lift.

Johnson isn’t expected to move to pass Ukraine aid this week, instead focusing on passing a bill to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but even that effort could be rife with party infighting and once again put the speaker at odds with members of his right flank.

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Congress will also confront a series of other major issues this week. House Republicans are gearing up to send articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate and lawmakers are expected to face questions over how Congress will respond to rebuilding and recovery efforts following the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key bridge.

Will the House vote a second time to remove a speaker?
A key question when the House returns is whether and when a vote will be triggered to remove the speaker.

In March, Greene filed a motion to oust Johnson in March, a surprise move that came amid conservative anger over the speaker’s handling of the government funding fight. But that motion still needs to be called up on the floor to force a vote.

If that happens, the House will have to consider the issue within two legislative days, setting up a showdown on the floor as the speakership hangs in the balance. A floor vote to oust Johnson would require a majority to succeed. A motion to table — or kill — the resolution could be offered and voted on first. That would also only require a simple majority to succeed.

House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner said Sunday he doesn’t believe Johnson is at “any risk” of being ousted.

Speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union,” Turner dismissed “chaos caucus” lawmakers who he said were “seeking attention for themselves and trying to stop all of the important work in Congress.”

The threat against Johnson comes after GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz similarly moved against then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. That triggered a historic and unprecedented vote to oust McCarthy, throwing House Republicans into weeks of chaos and turmoil as they struggled to elect a new speaker.

Ultimately, Republicans elected Johnson, only for him to now face a similar challenge to his speakership — the latest sign of bitter divisions within the House GOP conference.

House to send Mayorkas impeachment articles to Senate
On Wednesday, the House will send its two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas to the Senate, paving the way for a trial in the chamber.

It’s expected, however, that the Democratic-led Senate will vote to dismiss the case quickly. Even if somehow the Senate does not vote to dismiss, it is highly doubtful the chamber would vote to convict Mayorkas, which would require a two-thirds majority vote — a high bar to clear.

House Republicans voted to impeach the Biden administration official in February over his handling of the southern border, but held off on sending the articles to the Senate until the annual government funding process had been finalized.

Democrats have slammed the impeachment as a political stunt, saying that Republicans had no basis for the move and that policy disagreements are not a justification for the rarely used constitutional impeachment of a cabinet official.

On Thursday, senators will be sworn in as jurors. While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not specified exactly how he plans to handle the trial procedurally, Democratic senators — joined by some Republicans — have signaled they expect to move to dismiss the case before a full trial. Democrats could pass a motion to dismiss or table the articles on a simple majority vote that same day.

Some hard-right Republican senators are trying to find a way to force a full trial, but their efforts are not expected to get enough traction to pass, according to senators and aides from both parties.

Key outstanding issues: Baltimore bridge collapse and FISA deadline
Upon returning to Washington, lawmakers will be pressed to respond to the rebuilding and recovery effort in the aftermath of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last month.

The full scope of what will be required — and the price tag — will take time to determine. There are several mechanisms the federal government can tap for the recovery process, but pressure may grow on Congress to pass additional funding with Congress back in session.

A spending package may not be dealt with in the current congressional work period, though, as a significant portion of funding for the recovery effort is expected to come from an emergency fund at the Department of Transportation.

Spending issues are typically contentious on Capitol Hill, but there is often more bipartisan support for disaster relief and emergency recovery. Some hardline House conservatives, however, have signaled that they would want spending cuts to offset any cost, which could become a point of contention if Congress moves to pass legislation.

The Maryland congressional delegation is trying to arrange a meeting with Speaker Johnson to emphasize the importance of Hill action to help rebuilding and recovery in the wake of the bridge collapse.

Congress is also facing an April 19 deadline to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a major — and controversial — surveillance law.

Authority for Section 702 was extended through mid-April as part of the National Defense Authorization Act passed last year, but is now on track to expire.

House Republicans have been divided over how to handle the issue, putting pressure on Johnson to find a compromise between different factions within his conference.

Leadership pulled a pair of surveillance law bills from the floor in December amid internal GOP divisions. In February, a spokesperson for the speaker said the House would consider FISA reform “at a later date” to allow for more time to reach consensus on a path forward.

A bill introduced by GOP Rep. Laurel Lee of Florida titled the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act would reauthorize Section 702 of FISA for five years and aims to impose a series of reforms on the authority.

Section 702 of FISA enables the US government to obtain intelligence by collecting communications records of foreign persons based overseas.

Supporters argue Section 702 is a critical tool for safeguarding national security, but it has come under scrutiny from some lawmakers over alleged misuse.

“This is surveillance of foreigners who are abroad – we are not surveilling foreigners in the United States; we’re not surveilling Americans in the United States,” Turner said Sunday. “Those individuals who say this is a warrantless search of Americans’ data are just not telling the truth.”

He added: “If you’re an American, and you’re corresponding with ISIS, yes … your communications are going to be captured. You would want us to do that.”

The searches are governed by a set of internal rules and procedures designed to protect Americans’ privacy and civil liberties, but critics say that loopholes allow the FBI to search the data it collects for Americans’ information — as opposed to from foreign adversaries — without proper justification.

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Trump’s net worth has tumbled by $2 billion since Truth Social stock peaked last month
Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group continue to rapidly fall back to Earth.

The Truth Social owner dropped by another 10% on Monday, adding to a brutal week that wiped out a third of the stock’s value.

The selloff has shrunk former President Donald Trump’s stake in the controversial company to about $2.9 billion. That’s down sharply from a peak of $5.2 billion based on the closing high of $66.22 on March 27, the day after it went public.

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Trump owns a dominant stake of 78.8 million shares in Trump Media, which launched in 2021. Its plan to go public by merging with a shell company was delayed for years by regulatory and legal scrutiny.

When Trump Media finally went public late last month, experts immediately warned that Wall Street was drastically overvaluing the company based on traditional fundamental metrics like revenue and users.

Last week, Trump Media disclosed losing $58 million last year on very light revenue of just $4.1 million. By comparison, Twitter (now known as X) generated more than 100 times as much revenue – $665 million — in 2013 ahead of its initial public offering in November of that year.

After its first day of trading, Trump Media was valued at as much as $11 billion. That’s almost twice the valuation that Reddit achieved after its IPO in March – even though Reddit generated roughly 200 times as much revenue.

Despite the recent losses, shares of Trump Media and the blank check company it merged with have more than doubled this year.

quote:

Ukraine ‘will lose the war’ if US fails to approve aid, says Zelensky
Ukraine “will lose the war” if the United States Congress does not approve military aid to help it resist Russia’s invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“It’s important to specifically address the Congress: if the Congress doesn’t help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Zelensky said Sunday during a video meeting of the Ukrainian fund-raising group UNITED24.

“If Ukraine loses this war, other countries will be attacked. This is a fact,” he said.

Zelensky’s warning, among his starkest since the war began more than two years ago, comes as Congress has for months refused to pass a package of aid for Ukraine, leaving Kyiv to battle manpower and ammunition shortages while an emboldened Russia pounds Ukraine’s cities with missiles and tests for weak spots along the front line.

The US Senate passed a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill with assistance for Ukraine and Israel in February, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to hold a vote on passing the package for Ukraine.

Zelensky previously told CNN that “millions” could die in Ukraine’s war with Russia if US lawmakers do not approve the aid package.

SPOILER

quote:

When Russia launched its invasion in February 2022, it thought it would take Kyiv in days and the rest of the country in weeks. In what proved to be a disastrous miscalculation for Moscow, Ukraine repelled the initial assault on its capital and, later in 2022, reclaimed some of the territories overrun by Russia.

The frontlines have since been largely static, with Russia continuing to occupy around a fifth of Ukraine’s territory. Despite optimism that Ukraine could reclaim more of its occupied territories, its counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 failed to significantly pierce Russia’s defenses. Ukraine’s then-Commander in Chief conceded the war had entered a “stalemate.”

Since the start of this year, Russia – enjoying a huge advantage in manpower and technology – has attempted to seize the initiative, bombarding Ukraine’s cities with missiles and forcing Ukraine to retreat from the eastern town of Avdiivka.

Franz-Stefan Gady, an associate fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told CNN the war in Ukraine had entered a “transitional phase.”

“Russia is conducting probing attacks along the front line. It is trying to advance where it can. And it is preparing what seems to be a future offensive down the road,” he said.

While European countries have tried to replace US aid, Gady said there was “no substitute” for the support Washington can provide.

“This year, Ukraine really needs US support. There’s certain weapons systems, certain logistical support which the European countries simply cannot provide to Ukraine” such as air defense systems, he said.

Also on Sunday, Zelensky warned that “in the coming weeks Russia will be more and more insistent on dragging nuclear weapons into the debate, threatening, playing with this matter.”

In a separate post on X, he thanked UNITED24’s ambassadors for “continuing to draw US attention to the Ukrainian people’s fight for freedom and independence.”

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 18:35 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
Das niet heel abnormaal toch?

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 20:30 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Ik denk niet dat een scheepswerktuigbouwkundige of een stuurman veel toe te voegen heeft aan het front. Laat staan hoe klein z'n overleveingskansen zijn.

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Chechnya bans all music deemed too fast or too slow


Authorities in the Russian Republic of Chechnya have announced a ban on music that they consider too fast or slow.

Minister of Culture Musa Dadayev announced the decision to limit all musical, vocal and choreographic compositions to a tempo ranging from 80 to 116 beats per minute (BPM) at a meeting Friday, the Russian state new agency TASS reported.

“(I) have announced the final decision, agreed with the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov, that from now on all musical, vocal and choreographic works must correspond to a tempo of 80 to 116 beats per minute,” Dadayev said, according to TASS.

SPOILER

quote:

Under Kadyrov’s directive, the region now ensures that Chechen musical and dance creations align with the “Chechen mentality and musical rhythm,” aiming to bring “to the people and to the future of our children the cultural heritage of the Chechen people,” Dadayev added.

The ban will mean that many songs in musical styles such as pop and techno will be banned.

Chechnya sits in the North Caucasus region between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.

It is an almost entirely Muslim republic, which includes part of Russia’s border with Georgia.

Kadyrov has been leader since 2007 and has used his time in office to stifle any form of dissent.

There have also been reports of waves of violence against gay men.

In early 2017, United Nations human rights experts urged authorities to investigate allegations that gay men were being targeted and detained, and local media reported that some had been murdered for their sexuality.

Another wave of anti-LGBT persecution was reported in January 2019, when activists said dozens of men and women were detained and at least two died in custody.

In response, Kadyrov said there were no gay people in his republic, and that if there were any they should be taken away from the region.

The pro-Kremlin leader has also subdued the Chechen separatist movement that fought for independence from Russia for almost two decades.

In July 2020, the US State Department sanctioned Kadyrov for his “involvement in gross violations of human rights.”

According to a statement from the then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the department has “extensive credible information” of Kadyrov’s responsibility “for numerous gross violations of human rights dating back more than a decade, including torture and extrajudicial killings.”

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 20:31 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Zolang je niet je eigen mannetjes doodschiet heb je altijd wel wat toe te voegen aan het front toch?

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Ukraine developing ‘unstoppable’ AI-powered attack drone with Western backing
Deputy defence minister says weapon that homes in on target autonomously will be less susceptible to Russian electronic blockers

Ukraine is developing artificially intelligent drones that will be harder for Russia to shoot down, The Telegraph can disclose.

The push to create an image recognition targeting system, which can autonomously hunt and strike targets, is backed by more than �200 million in Western finance from a UK-led drone coalition.

Kateryna Chernohorenko,Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, said the system would make one-way attack drones less susceptible to Russian electronic blockers and allow pilots to operate them further from the front line.

The official, who leads Kyiv’s negotiations on drones, said it was being developed as a “joint venture” alongside members of the �1.2 billion scheme.

“The great challenge is the last mile of engagement taking into account that more and more individual electronic warfare systems are available,” Ms Chernohorenko said.

“Our drones should be more effective and should be guided towards the target without any operators.

“It should be based on visual navigation. We also call it ‘last-mile targeting’, homing in according to the image.”

SPOILER

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The drone would be launched and piloted by a human to about a mile before their target.

At that point, AI would take over, guiding the drone to its eventual target and making it harder for Russia to jam any signals back to the pilot.

A fifth of the finances raised through the drone capability coalition, spearheaded by Britain and Latvia, is being set aside by Kyiv for the manufacture of the next generation of combat drones.

British defence sources have denied that the Government will play any role in producing autonomous drones alongside Ukrainian engineers.

Ukraine’s drone programme has proved hugely controversial in recent weeks, with the United States publicly condemning Kyiv’s deep strikes on oil refineries inside Russia.

Western intelligence officials have acknowledged Ukraine’s armed forces have access to drones capable of hitting targets more than 600 miles away.

Tweaks and innovations have made both commercially produced and homemade UAVs lethal weapons in the war between Ukraine and Russia.

Ukraine’s defence ministry believes its fleet of naval drones have inflicted losses on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet “at a ratio one to 10 in the context of price”.

Ukrainian forces have become increasingly reliant on the devices to compensate for shortages of more conventional weapons fuelled by the United States’ delayed $60 billion aid package.

Western officials have warned the shortages of weapons and ammunition have forced Ukraine to cede ground to advancing Russian troops.

Because of the urgency, half of the funds raised by the international coalition are being used to purchase readily available UAVs from Ukrainian producers.

“We understand the joint ventures are quite a long way [away] and it’s not a fast way but we want to move in this direction to have joint ventures, to prove we’re fast and can produce technological weapons,” Ms Chernohorenko said.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “We are leading the way in providing lethal aid to Ukraine, including over 10,000 drones, which can attack targets at sea, provide surveillance and are first-person view.

“The UK is also a joint leader of the drone capability coalition, which is supplying thousands of drones to Ukraine which have proven highly effective on the battlefield.”

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 20:35 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Verder dan "hier heb je een vuurwapen, ga die kant op" kom je niet vrees ik. Zelfde niveau als de gevangenen die naar het front gestuurd werden. Een matroos is simpelweg geen soldaat. Complete verspilling van getraind militair personeel.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 20:33 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://edition.cnn.com/2(...)scli-intl/index.html
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

Polyphia - Playing God (Official Music Video)

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 20:35 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Verder dan "hier heb je een vuurwapen, ga die kant op" kom je niet vrees ik. Zelfde niveau als de gevangenen die naar het front gestuurd werden. Een matroos is simpelweg geen soldaat. Complete verspilling van getraind militair personeel.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 21:35 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
De inzet van marinedivisies bij landoperaties is vrij normaal.

Zie bijvoorbeeld de inzet van de 1st marinedivisie in o.a. de eerste wereldoorlog.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Marine_Division

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 21:35 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
De inzet van marinedivisies bij landoperaties is vrij normaal.

Zie bijvoorbeeld de inzet van de 1st marinedivisie in o.a. de eerste wereldoorlog.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Marine_Division

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:05 schreef Barbusse het volgende:
Ik snap dit niet. Je hebt al een prutsmarine vanwege corruptie onder voornamelijk (hogere) officieren, en dan gooi je gespecialiseerd lager kader in een oorlog waar ze absoluut niet getraind voor zijn. Ik zie een naut al een tank besturen joh. What's next, onderhoudstechniekers voor vliegtuigen naar het front sturen?

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 21:55 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Erm....dat zijn geen matrozen he. Die komen meer overeen met mariniers. Das iets totaal anders.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 20:29 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://edition.cnn.com/2(...)nsky-intl/index.html
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:09 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Of op zijn Stalins zuiveren van ongewenste elementen. De vraag is of wat er voor terugkomt beter os.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:09 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Oekra�ne ontwikkelt onjambare AI drones met westerse hulp.

Als de verbinding verbroken wordt vliegt de drone autonoom naar zijn doel toe.

Skynet komt steeds dichterbij.

[ x ]

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 18:00 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
Lol

Dit doet echt op helemaal geen enkele manier denken aan de ruyter's raid

Dat was was een complete vloot die daar de hele tent in brand heeft geschoten

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:13 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Maar afwachten die mooie verhaaltjes. Die Khinzals werden ook wel uit de lucht geschoten.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:11 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

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Dit soort marine divisies is wat er aan het front wordt ingezet. Ik ben eigenlijk nooit iets tegengekomen over ander marinepersoneel.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:11 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Dit soort marine divisies is wat er aan het front wordt ingezet. Ik ben eigenlijk nooit iets tegengekomen over ander marinepersoneel.

quote:

The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine division of the United States Marine Corps

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:15 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Dan moet men duidelijker berichten en het verschil kennen tussen marine en mariniers Er was eerder al beweerd (weet niet zo snel wie) dat marinepersoneel van schepen af was gehaald om te vechten.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:20 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Nou, dat gebeurt ook, is ook gebeurt. Maar dat is niet normaal/de bedoeling. rus heeft geen mariniers, die hebben wel naval infantry. Komt er enigsinds in de buurt. Maar idd, allerhande volk wat normaal bezig is een schip operationeel te houden een geweer in de handen duwen en een loopgraaf in trappen is weinig slim.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:18 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Of je leest de link die je quote:
[..]
.

Marine op z'n engels is navy.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:12 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Zou je niet denken h� aan de users hier te horen en al de X-linkjes met puike video's. Ik dacht dat Oekra�ne Rusland wel in de pan hakte.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:22 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Ja, precies wat de Russen inzetten; het marine corps.
http://cast.ru/eng/produc(...)an-marine-corps.html

de 810e brigade bijvoorbeeld is veelvuldig ingezet in Oekra�ne.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:22 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Ja, precies wat de Russen inzetten; het marine corps.
http://cast.ru/eng/produc(...)an-marine-corps.html

de 810e brigade bijvoorbeeld is veelvuldig ingezet in Oekra�ne.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:28 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Maar das dus geen marine. Dat zijn eerder mariniers. Zit een groot verschil tussen.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:29 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Die ook ja, maar aan het begin van de oorlog werd er een tankcrew van 3 gevangen genomen, 1 matroos, 1 wagneriaan en 1 landmacht soldaat. Refereerde iemand anders al naar. Dus ja, rus doet maar wat.

En als daar op je antwoord: ja, is normaal, hier een link naar dat de VS haar marines inzet,

Dan snap je het e.e.a. niet.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:32 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Ik heb bij de marine gezeten als simpel kokkie. JONGENS, LAAT MIJ MAAR WERKEN AAN EEN PATRIOT BATTERIJ, IK WEET PRECIES HOE DIT WERKT.

Gekkenhuis

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 20:30 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Ik denk niet dat een scheepswerktuigbouwkundige of een stuurman veel toe te voegen heeft aan het front. Laat staan hoe klein z'n overleveingskansen zijn.

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:32 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Ik heb bij de marine gezeten als simpel kokkie. JONGENS, LAAT MIJ MAAR WERKEN AAN EEN PATRIOT BATTERIJ, IK WEET PRECIES HOE DIT WERKT.

Gekkenhuis

'Commander told us to hold on' Russian POW from Vladivostok abandoned by his command

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:32 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Ik heb bij de marine gezeten als simpel kokkie. JONGENS, LAAT MIJ MAAR WERKEN AAN EEN PATRIOT BATTERIJ, IK WEET PRECIES HOE DIT WERKT.

Gekkenhuis

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 22:18 schreef ExTec het volgende:


Marine op z'n engels is navy.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 23:34 schreef sp3c het volgende:
idealiter zitten ze aan boord van hun schepen maar als die het niet meer doen moet je er toch wat mee

voorbeelden te over

quote:

You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.

Donald Rumsfeld

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 23:39 schreef sp3c het volgende:
het is niet dom

het is niet ideaal maar dat is oorlog zelden
[..]

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 23:42 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Navy ain't an army. Het is wel dom. Nu functioneert die prutsmarine amper meer.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 23:31 schreef Barbusse het volgende:
Jongens (of jong0ns zoals Sp3c het graag ziet), marine zijn geen mariniers en marinepersoneel is simpelweg niet getraind voor een landoorlog. Ze gaan snel dood en hebben niks in te brengen behalve de hoop een kogel of 2 af te schieten.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 23:44 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
das meer omdat hun schepen steeds ontploffen

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 23:51 schreef UitStraling het volgende:
Marinepersoneel is vaak ook te bang om echt te vechten, dat is de reden waarom ze bij de marine zitten in de eerste plaats.

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Op maandag 8 april 2024 23:51 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Sending your sailors to die in a fucking trench sure as shit ain't gonna help.

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Judge denies Trump’s request to postpone trial and consider venue change in hush money case
A New York appeals court has denied Donald Trump’s petition to change the venue of his upcoming hush money trial.

The former president’s attorneys on Monday had urged the court to postpone the trial so it could consider whether to change the venue, arguing that Trump cannot get a fair jury in New York.

But Associate Justice Lizbeth Gonz�lez quickly denied the motion to stop the trial after hearing arguments Monday, and there is no further argument on the motion to change the venue.

SPOILER

quote:

Trump’s attorneys had filed the petition in the state appellate court earlier in the day, one week before his trial is set to begin.

Trump’s attorneys also said they are filing a petition objecting to the gag order imposed by Judge Juan Merchan barring Trump from publicly discussing witnesses in the upcoming trial, as well as staff and family of the court and district attorney’s office. That was not argued on Monday.

At Monday’s hearing before the appeals court, Trump attorney Emil Bove rehashed a survey and media study referenced in the former president’s previous motion submitted to Merchan to postpone based on pretrial publicity. The judge has not ruled on that motion.

“In terms of pretrial publicity in this county this case stands alone,” Bove said.

Jury selection cannot proceed next week in a fair manner in New York County, which is Manhattan, based on their research, Trump’s attorney claimed, reiterating his ask that the trial be delayed while their motion for a change of venue is resolved.

Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Chief of Appeals Steven Wu argued it was too late for Trump’s lawyers to make this petition this close to the start of the trial. He said the proper process is for Trump to renew a request for change of venue if it appears they cannot seat a fair jury from New York County in the jury selection process.

The question, Wu said, was not what Trump’s poll says, but whether jury selection can seat 12 impartial jurors and alternates.

“Defendant has assumed throughout this argument here that publicity here is inherently prejudicial. The facts do not bear this out,” Wu said. Wu said the articles for the most part are “even-handed coverage” of the case, summarizing the allegations. He argued that a case of this kind attracts international attention.

Nothing in Trump’s filings suggests New York County is uniquely saturated with media coverage or that New Yorkers in the county are uniquely incapable of being fair, Wu argued.

“The mere fact that jurors know about this case is not an indication of bias,” Wu said. “This is the defendant coming into this argument with unclean hands, because the publicity in large part is his own.”

Jury selection is set to begin in the hush money trial on April 15.

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 23:57 schreef sp3c het volgende:
het is niet ongebruikelijk

meerdere voorbeelden gegeven, boeit me verder niet wat je er van vind

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Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 00:03 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Er is niet zoveel dat jou boeit, nietwaar?

quote:

Op zondag 7 april 2024 14:22 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

Update from Ukraine | The result of the big Drone Strike | China started Supporting Ruzzia directly

05 Apr: ALL ALARMS TRIGGERED! New Threat of the Biggest Russian Offensive (Kharkiv) | War in Ukraine

06 Apr: Oops! Confused Russian Pilots BOMBED THEIR OWN ASSAULT GROUPS | War in Ukraine

quote:

The Armed Forces of Ukraine Hit Russian Unmanned Mining System

The Russian military has begun using ground-based unmanned mining systems.

The Ukrainian military discovered such a system due to drone reconnaissance.

The Russians installed nine kits of field mines on the unmanned ground vehicle.

The kit consists of a primitive launcher, fuze, and cable reels.

In the breech part of the launcher, contacts for the electrical launch system are provided.

SPOILER

quote:

ЗСУ уразили російську роботизовану платформу для мінування

When the cassette is connected to the unit, the contacts of the cassette and the unit are short-circuited.

When an electric pulse is applied from a fuze or any other current source, the powder charge in the cassette ignites and ejects the mines.

The cassette fires anti-personnel mines that create a minefield in front of defensive positions.

A minefield of any length can be installed sequentially, moving 8–10 meters after each launch.

The danger of this remotely operated mining system lies in its simplicity: mines can be easily and suddenly installed by the enemy in the right place and at the right time.

However, the Ukrainian military of the 44th Mechanized Brigade managed to destroy the system with FPV drones.

As previously reported, soldiers of the 63rd Mechanized Brigade recently demonstrated the combat use of a remotely operated mining system. Also, in late March, Militarnyi reported that soldiers of the 47th Mechanized Brigade showed a video of them destroying Russian unmanned combat ground vehicles in the Avdiivka sector.

quote:

HIMARS Hits Leer-3 EW System in Zaporizhzhia Region

The Ukrainian military managed to detect and strike the Russian Leer-3 electronic warfare system in the Zaporizhzha direction.

Military Mykola Kolesnik said that the system was spotted during his reconnaissance of the location of the enemy forces.

“[It was] Tightly covered with air defense,” mentioned Mykola Kolesnik.

The EW system detected and adjusted the fire drone of the LUFTWAFFE unit of the 129th Territorial Defense Brigade.

The American HIMARS rocket launcher scored a direct hit on the position of the invaders with just one round.

SPOILER

quote:

На Запоріжжі HIMARS уразив комплекс "Леер-3"

The military also noted that at the moment of impact, there were operators in the Russian system who were eliminated.

“The target was destroyed, along with the operators,” added Mykola Kolesnik.

RB-341V Leer-3 is a modern Russian electronic warfare and signal intelligence system specializing in GSM cellular networks.

The Leer-3 system is also equipped with Orlan-10 UAVs with repeaters that, in addition to jamming electronic signals, can establish control over cellular communication.

Four drones can be operated from one post at a time.

In addition, radio equipment allows it to establish stable communication channels with other ground stations to create a network of thirty operators’ workplaces.

Recall that in early April, Ukrainian defenders destroyed the Russian Zhitel electronic warfare jamming communication station in the Zaporizhzhia region.

quote:

Swedish and Norwegian military personnel rented Russian cottages during NATO exercises
Swedish and Norwegian military personnel, during NATO exercises, stayed in cottages owned by the Russian elite. They were located at the center of the military base, according to TV2.

In the centre of the Norwegian military base in the north, there is a group of houses owned by Russians. The cottages overlook the military airbase in Bardufoss, where Norwegian units and allies regularly conduct training.

The owners of these cottages are members of the Russian ruling elite and representatives of the party of dictator Vladimir Putin: the mayor of Murmansk, Igor Morar, and Viktor Saygin, who has close ties to the Russian military.

In the mountain village, they claim they were unaware of the connection of the Russian owners to the Russian regime.

A representative of the security police press office, Eirik Veum, confirmed that they are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the cottages together with the Norwegian armed forces.

"When the landlords are Russian citizens who may be associated with the Russian regime, it doesn't matter who they rent the house to. But we are involved not only because of the lease," Veum said.

Neither the Ministry of Defense nor the security service were willing to comment on the specific territory of the cottage, but the police emphasized that the purchase of such real estate could pose a security problem.

NATO military exercises
In the first half of 2024, NATO is conducting a series of exercises under the common codename Steadfast Defender-24. Poland will be one of the host countries, accommodating a significant number of soldiers and equipment from allies. As part of Steadfast Defender-24, Poland will also host national exercises called Dragon-24, with the participation of armed forces from other countries.

From March 4 to 15, large-scale military exercises of NATO countries called Nordic Response 24 took place in northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Approximately 20,000 servicemen from 14 countries participated in them.

According to the Pentagon, US Army ground forces are also participating in Steadfast Defender 24 exercises. They will continue until May 31.

quote:

At night, air defense destroyed all 20 "Shahed"
Last night, air defense forces destroyed all 20 Shaheds that attacked Ukraine.
According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk in Telegram.

"On the night of April 9, 2024, the Russian invaders attacked with 20 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs from Cape Chauda - Crimea, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia, as well as four S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the occupied Donetsk region," the statement said.

Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units and electronic warfare units of the Air Force, and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces were involved in repelling the air attack. As a result of the air battle, all 20 "Shaheds" were shot down in Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kherson, Dnipro, Poltava, Vinnytsia, and Lviv regions.

As Ukrinform reported, last night several groups of attack UAVs attacked the western regions of Ukraine.

quote:

Op maandag 8 april 2024 23:51 schreef UitStraling het volgende:
Marinepersoneel is vaak ook te bang om echt te vechten, dat is de reden waarom ze bij de marine zitten in de eerste plaats.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 08:26 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://newsukraine.rbc.u(...)gian-1712632760.html
[..]

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 10:32 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Hey, die hadden we al een tijd niet meer gezien.

[ afbeelding ]

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 10:53 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Context?

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 10:54 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Eh, dat bont en blauwe gezicht, omdat yuri of ivan niet wilde betalen voor de 'geleverde diensten'?

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 10:11 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Waarom bezitten die ratten �berhaupt nog vastgoed in Europa?

Special | Zo komen schimmige miljonairs Europa binnen

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 10:59 schreef Cherni het volgende:

[..]
Omdat Malta Russen een EU paspoort geeft. Zo heeft een rijke Rus heel wat eilandjes rondom Finland opgekocht.

We leren het nooit.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 10:59 schreef Cherni het volgende:

[..]
Omdat Malta Russen een EU paspoort geeft. Zo heeft een rijke Rus heel wat eilandjes rondom Finland opgekocht.

We leren het nooit.

Special | Zo komen schimmige miljonairs Europa binnen

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 11:05 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
https://timesofmalta.com/(...)g-named-on-us.945420

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 11:39 schreef Za het volgende:
Laat dit stoppen aub.

[ x ]

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 10:32 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Hey, die hadden we al een tijd niet meer gezien.

[ afbeelding ]

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 10:54 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Eh, dat bont en blauwe gezicht, omdat yuri of ivan niet wilde betalen voor de 'geleverde diensten'?

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 11:46 schreef Za het volgende:

[..]
Het zijn gewoon heel trieste beelden.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 11:39 schreef Za het volgende:
Laat dit stoppen aub.

[ x ]

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 12:59 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Deze w��r? Ik heb hier een jaar geleden al hier over bericht, de bron was een Tiktok account met slecht 2 of 3 video's.

Dit account is inmiddels opgeheven.

Het Oekrainsche leger neemt geen geestelijk gehandicapten aan, dit is de gebruikelijke projectie van het russische propaganda apparaat.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 12:59 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Deze w��r? Ik heb hier een jaar geleden al hier over bericht, de bron was een Tiktok account met slecht 2 of 3 video's.

Dit account is inmiddels opgeheven.

Het Oekrainsche leger neemt geen geestelijk gehandicapten aan, dit is de gebruikelijke projectie van het russische propaganda apparaat.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:11 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Omg volgen jullie een script ofzo.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:04 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:
Ben benieuwd hoe men over 5 jaar naar dit filmpje kijkt op het wereldtoneel.

[ x ]

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:21 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Dit is gewoon onverstelbaar hope dom jullie troll pogingen zijn.
je zit in de dezelfde ruimte praat met elkander!

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:26 schreef VelitoX het volgende:

[..]
Tis ook wel leuk om ze te spotten bij youtube filmpjes van nos/rtl enzo, opvallend veel "voornaamachternaam4cijfers" accounts met pro-rusland "maar amerika! nato!!!" replies hahahha.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:11 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Omg volgen jullie een script ofzo.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:26 schreef VelitoX het volgende:

[..]
Tis ook wel leuk om ze te spotten bij youtube filmpjes van nos/rtl enzo, opvallend veel "voornaamachternaam4cijfers" accounts met pro-rusland "maar amerika! nato!!!" replies hahahha.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:32 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Goed voorbeeld van echokamers.

Zo kritisch en vrij denkend dat ze direct herhalen wat hun praatpaal ze voorschotelt

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:34 schreef Simmertje het volgende:
Za en een andere user die PRECIES hetzelfde posten in een korte tijd. Hoezo een paar mensen zitten behoorlijk diep in de Russische social media propaganda molen. Of ze zijn zelf onderdeel van een propaganda fabriek. Dat laatste verbaasd mij zo langzamerhand niet meer. Echt extreem veel van dit soort topics/posts de laatste tijd.

Gaat hier nog wat aan gedaan worden Fok? Of is dit forum over een aantal maanden de zoveelste plek die je maar moet vermijden op het internet?

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:36 schreef VelitoX het volgende:

[..]
Ze doen dan ook hun eigen research natuurlijk, dat moeten we niet vergeten.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:34 schreef Simmertje het volgende:
Za en een andere user die PRECIES hetzelfde posten in een korte tijd. Hoezo een paar mensen zitten behoorlijk diep in de Russische social media propaganda molen. Of ze zijn zelf onderdeel van een propaganda fabriek. Dat laatste verbaasd mij zo langzamerhand niet meer. Echt extreem veel van dit soort topics/posts de laatste tijd.

quote:

Gaat hier nog wat aan gedaan worden Fok? Of is dit forum over een aantal maanden de zoveelste plek die je maar moet vermijden op het internet?

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:37 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Wat moeten we er aan doen dan. En zeker specifiek nu, twee users posten herhaaldelijk bewezen onzin kort na elkaar. Tja, jokes on them zou ik dan zeggeb.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:40 schreef Simmertje het volgende:

[..]
Ik snap best wel dat dat Fok het lastig vindt om users zomaar te bannen, uiteindelijk moet dit een plek blijven waarbij je vrij kunt discussi�ren. Maar wanneer bepaalde users al een paar jaar dezelfde soort (bewezen onzin) posts plaatsen dan mag er van mij weleens harder opgetreden worden.

Het is gewoon vrij opvallend dat het de laatste maanden in extreme vormen toeneemt. Bijna alsof het gestuurd is.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:46 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:
Het is simpelweg een verdienmodel voor veel van dat soort clowns. Met een hele hoge inzet overigens..

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 11:39 schreef Za het volgende:
Laat dit stoppen aub.

[ x ]

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 14:13 schreef polderturk het volgende:

[..]
Die video is met 100% zekerheid gemaakt door Russische propagandisten.

Trap er niet in.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:46 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:
Figuren als Jones kletsen simpelweg propaganda na omdat er mensen zijn die dat willen horen. Zodra zulke figuren weer wat te mekkeren hebben zie je dat ook weer terug op het forum, was met corona bijvoorbeeld ook zo.

Het is simpelweg een verdienmodel voor veel van dat soort clowns. Met een hele hoge inzet overigens..

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 14:42 schreef Aether het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:05 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:
Oh. Iemand was me al voor

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 15:14 schreef Knipoogje het volgende:

[..]
Blijf anders maar gewoon weg. Hier poogt men nog enigszins feiten te plaatsen. Jij weet dat het misinformatie en nep is en toch plaats je het. Dat geeft te denken.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 14:44 schreef bleiblei het volgende:

[..]
Nouja, al eerder gemeld. En wordt elke keer weer weggehoond. Ik vind het een kwalijke zaak dat Fok! zichzelf aanbiedt voor dit soort gevaarlijke praktijken.

1 van die jokers riep jaren geleden nog "maakt mij niet uit als het gedebunked wordt. Van de 100 die dit lezen, zit er 1tje bij die het gelooft". En hoppetee, weer een zieltje in het zwarte gat der desinformatie gezogen.

Daarom, zo snel mogelijk wegmikken die flauwekul en de accounts onbruikbaar maken op de plekken waar ze schade aanrichten.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 15:57 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Vraagje voor de vredelievenden: Hoeveel zouden we Rusland moeten betalen voor het aangedane onrecht?

[ x ]

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 14:13 schreef polderturk het volgende:

[..]
Die video is met 100% zekerheid gemaakt door Russische propagandisten.

Trap er niet in.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 13:37 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Wat moeten we er aan doen dan. En zeker specifiek nu, twee users posten herhaaldelijk bewezen onzin kort na elkaar. Tja, jokes on them zou ik dan zeggeb.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:07 schreef grrrrg het volgende:

[..]
Teveel moeite, dus Fok geeft het maar op met de bestrijding van Kremlin-propaganda?
Er wordt hier natuurlijk ook aan verdiend...

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:07 schreef grrrrg het volgende:

[..]
Teveel moeite, dus Fok geeft het maar op met de bestrijding van Kremlin-propaganda?
Er wordt hier natuurlijk ook aan verdiend...

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:12 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Het niveau ontstijgt hier sowieso amper linkdump. Bepaal gewoon zelf of iets betrouwbaar is of niet, daar heb je toch geen mod voor nodig om je handje vast te houden?

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:18 schreef Simmertje het volgende:

[..]
Omgekeerde wereld. Zodra ik bij elk topic door onbetrouwbare bagger moet gaan zoeken naar een zinnige post is het voor mij wel klaar hoor. Dan kun je net zo goed stoppen met mods en admins.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:22 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Er staat genoeg andere onbetrouwbare bagger in, maak je geen zorgen.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:23 schreef Simmertje het volgende:

[..]
Daarnaast gaat het niet om "handje vasthouden". Maar om het fok forum nog enigszins op een normaal niveau te houden i.p.v. een veredeld nu.nl te worden.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:22 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Er staat genoeg andere onbetrouwbare bagger in, maak je geen zorgen.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:27 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Ik bepaal zelf wat de waarheid is. Realiteit is ook maar een mening.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:31 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Als archeoloog van de waarheid weet je vast wel dat je die niet meekrijgt aan de hand van wat tweets en redditlinks?

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:36 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Dat bepaal ik zelf wel.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:42 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Sure, jouw feestje.

Maar schiet (collectief) dan ook wat minder in de stress als er eens niet uit de oude vertrouwde bron wordt gepost.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:42 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Sure, jouw feestje.

Maar schiet (collectief) dan ook wat minder in de stress als er eens niet uit de oude vertrouwde bron wordt gepost.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:05 schreef grrrrg het volgende:

[..]
Ook niet toevallig dat de Twitter-accounts die reageren op dit soor Kremlin-propaganda bijna allemaal blauwe vinkjes hebben.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 18:18 schreef Pleun2011 het volgende:
Putin is de Adolf Hitler van deze tijd
Zijn volgelingen en propagandisten in Nederland zijn de NSB'ers van deze tijd. Waarom wordt die figuren geen strobreed in de weg gelegd hier? Wat is er mis met het morele kompas van de beheerders? Is het onverschilligheid? Is het domheid?

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 18:18 schreef Pleun2011 het volgende:
Putin is de Adolf Hitler van deze tijd
Zijn volgelingen en propagandisten in Nederland zijn de NSB'ers van deze tijd. Waarom wordt die figuren geen strobreed in de weg gelegd hier? Wat is er mis met het morele kompas van de beheerders? Is het onverschilligheid? Is het domheid?

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 18:38 schreef Simmertje het volgende:

[..]
Wil dit wel even nuanceren. Uiteindelijk vind ik dat er ruimte moet zijn voor discussie, daarvoor is het een forum. Wanneer iemand hier goed kan onderbouwen waarom hij de steun vanuit het westen richting Oekra�ne niet goedkeurt, dan moet daar ruimte voor zijn, ondanks dat het misschien af en toe hard tegen hard gaat.

Wanneer iemand (en we weten de bekende namen) structureel al 4 jaar (bewezen) desinformatie verspreid, dubieuze bronnen gebruikt en daarna ook nog (bewezen) teksten aanpast of manipuleert (veelal door suggestieve posts/topics). Dan mag daar best wel eens harder tegen opgetreden worden naar mijn mening.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:51 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Dit is meermaals bewezen onzin. Dat is wel iets anders

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 16:59 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Ik ken het bedrijf niet, en mijn Oekraiens is niet zo heel denderend. Maar prima.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 18:18 schreef Pleun2011 het volgende:
Putin is de Adolf Hitler van deze tijd
Zijn volgelingen en propagandisten in Nederland zijn de NSB'ers van deze tijd. Waarom wordt die figuren geen strobreed in de weg gelegd hier? Wat is er mis met het morele kompas van de beheerders? Is het onverschilligheid? Is het domheid?

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 19:59 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Die vergelijking is onzin natuurlijk.

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 april 2024 20:10 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
Prima vergelijking. Putin zit in z'n bunker wetten uit te vaardigen tegen overstromingen terwijl hij kindsoldaten naar het front stuurt. En hij verliest de oorlog, natuurlijk.